Love or Hate, Good or Evil?
by Very evil daughter of Lord Vol
Summary: Chapter 16 up Hitomi has a disturbing vision about Van, and so goes back to Gaea to discover the truth. If you ever thought that maybe Dilandau isn't dead, then this is the fan fic for you! a mixture of angst, romance, adventure and drama! DISCONTINUED
1. Awful Truth

Hello! ( This is my very first fan ficcie, so it will probably won't be very good, so please be sympathetic and if you review, please only use constructive criticism or compliments.Thank you! From the Very Evil Daughter of Lord Voldemort, Juliet Riddle (who's not as evil as she makes out to be) P.S Unfortunately I no nothing of Japonise temples, so I'm going by the one shown on The Vision Of Escaflowne.  
  
Chapter 1- Awful Truth  
  
Hitomi sighed, a great feeling of unhappiness settling itself in her heart. Once again she tried to reach out to Von telepathically, and once again got no answer. She sat herself on her bed, her mind full of worry. Why didn't he answer her? Was he dead? Was he sick? If she didn't find an answer soon, Von wasn't going to be the only one in a bad way. She picked up her diary from the bedside table and opened it to the page where she wrote down the vision she'd had. She flicked to the most recent ones, reading carefully, trying to pick up any new meanings in them.  
  
I had the vision when I was taking a short cut home one night through the running track- the same place where I first met Von. At the beginning there was that same sickening sensation of falling, or being dragged underwater that I have every time I have a vision. In my vision I was on Gaea, and I think I was in Fanelia. It was completely rebuilt, and all the street were decorated with flowers and banners. It looked like a huge festival was about to take place. I then saw a girl with long curly hair sitting at a dresser looking into the mirror. There are at least five servants fussing over her clothers and hair. Her dress is beautiful, even better than Milerna's wedding dress. Next I see the girl holding Vons's arm, smiling. They are walking on a red carpet and there are people on either side. That's when I realise they're walking up the aisle- they are going to get married.  
  
The memory of that vision made Hitomi want to cry. She had always had faith in her visions, but how could she trust what she had seen? How could Von, who had vowed to love her for eternity, suddenly forget all they'd done together and go off with another? Her gaze drifed to the tarot cards on her desk. Should she? She'd promised never to use them ever again. But maybe, just this once. she got up from her bed and stood in front of the cards, waiting for the battle inside her to finish. Then, just as her hand reached out over the cards, a breeze came through the window and scattered the cards over the desk. Hitomi's heart quickened its pace. This was surely a sign. Perhaps she was meant to read the cards. Besides, it wouldn't do any harm. Would it?. She leaned over to get a better view of the cards, and gasped, her heart jumping painfully to her throat. "No!" She shouted, and with a swipe of her hand knocked the cards of the desk. Breathing heavily, she threw her self onto her bed and began to sob.  
  
[pic]Hitomi looking at the cards on her desk.  
  
When Hitomi had finished crying her head hurt, her throat was sore, and her stomach felt queasy. She was exhausted. She sniffed, and reached out for her last Kleenex to blow her nose with. So what if the cards said Von was bound to another? It didn't mean it was true. Slowly, she got up and picked up her pocket mirror to check if she looked like she'd been crying. She did. Her eyes were red, her cheeks damp and her nose was running. Not to mention the state her hair was in. She quickly began the tiding up process of brushing her hair and creeping to the bathroom to wash her face and blow her nose. When all that was done, she felt better and just a little shaky. She felt she could do with a breath of fresh air. She went downstairs and found her Mum and Dad preparing dinner. Her mother looked up. "Hello, sweetie pie, would you like to help with the dinner? Your brother's too 'busy'. According to him, anyway." Her mother stopped talking and peered at her daughter. "Are you alright Hitomi? Your eyes are red." "I'm fine Mum," Hitomi lied. Her Dad looked up from peeling the potatoes. "She's probably tired. Don't worry Hitomi, it's the weekend tomorrow, so you can sleep in." Hitomi smiled. "Thanks, Dad," "What are you doing this weekend, Hitomi?" Her mother asked. "Mmm, nothing," Mum looked surprised. "Oh really? No Yukari?" Dad groaned. "Don't tell me, the twins have split up," he said. "No., she's with Umano, that's all," "Ahhh," said her mother smpathetically. "So she's in love and left you on your own, has she? Are you feeling lonely?" "No!" Hitomi almost shouted, mainly to quieten her own thoughts about the amount of time those two were spending together, not her mother's. But her mother was right: she did feel lonely. No Umano, no Yukari and no Von. "There's no need to raise your voice, Hitomi," Her father said reasonably. "I'm not," Hitomi answered. Her father sighed. "You know, I thought our daughter had escaped Evil Teenager Syndrome, but I guess not," Hitomi's mother chuckled. "Really, dear, no wonder she gets annoyed, you never take her seriously." "Okay, Mum, I'm going out, now." Hitomi said impatiently. Her mother's eye brows went up. "Hitomi! Do you have any idea how late it is? It's dangerous at this time of night." "Mum," said Hitomi, wearily, "It's 7 o clock. You're making it sound like I want to go out at 11 or something." "Besides," Her Father added, we're going to have dinner soon," "For goodness sakes, people! It's not like I want to go clubbing!" "Where do you want to go, then?" "The temple." "Oh." Their attitude changed at once. "What is so important that you have to go there at once, Hitomi?" Said her mother, concerned. "Nothing.I just need some guidance on something, that's all." "Can we help?" Her dad asked. "No, it's about something I find hard to talk about." "Boyfriends," said her mother instantly, with her uasal annoying spot-on- ness. Hitomi frowned. "I just need to go to the temple, okay?" "I'll take you," Dad offered, drying his hands on a towel. Hitomi smiled. "Thanks, Dad!" She rushed into the hall way, and struggled into her coat. "Come on, Dad!" She said, agitated when she saw that he had neither shoes, coat nor keys. As they drew up to the temple gates, Dad said: "Hitomi, I just remembered- I left some important paper work at the office that I have to do over the weekend. I'll just quickly pop over and I'll be back in five. You'll be okay here on your own for a while, right?" Hitomi got out of the car, and kissed her father on the cheek through the open window. "I'll be fine, Dad," She said lovingly. "Okay, don't tell your Mother, though!" Her Dad grinned. Hitomi laughed, and waved to him as he drove off. She turned round, her eyes resting on the path that led to the temple- the same path that she and her friends had been when they were chased by a dragon, and the same temple where Von killed it. She walked slowly, her memories mixing with the twilight, so that the shadows took the shapes of the dragon, Von, and countless other people of Gaea. Hitomi stopped dead. She strained her ears. Didn't she hear footsteps behind her? Maybe she'd imagined it. Besides, it had stopped. She glanced over her shoulder, to make sure. For a spilt second she thought she saw the shape of Dilandou, his evil, handsome face bearly visible in the shadows.He was watching her. Hitomi froze, fear overuling reason. She blinked, unable to ask herself how it was possible that he could be here. When she opened her eyes again, the moment had passed and he had gone. She shook her head. "I'm scaring myself," She muttered. Scowling because she let her imagination get the better of her, she continued her walk at a brisk pace. When she arrived at the temple, it was a struggle not to become completely submerged in the memories and the feelings she had experienced, threatening to make her re- live the whole journey. She pushed all that to the back of her mind and strode forward to the temple. She went to the porch and knelt down. She closed her eyes and clasping her hands together, she began to pray. "Oh Powers That Be, power of my wishes, send me back to Gaea so that I may know that Von's love is true. Grandma, if you're listening, please, help me! If it is your will, and my wish, if my love is strong enough take me back to my home, to Gaea, Fanelia." Hitomi could no longer speak, the sights and sounds of Fanelia came back to her in her mind's eye, torturing her heart with longing and unhappiness. A lump came to her throat and her eyes stang. "Oh please." She whispered, her head bowed. She waited, on tenderhooks, for her answer. She waited for a few minutes, and with a sinking feeling of defeat and dissapointment, she stood up, and walked away. Tears choked her. She'd been refused. Wasn't her wish strong enough? Was their love just a calf love, a fake love? Nooo! Her heart and soul screamed at her. His love is for ever. "No," Her voice was like a little mew of pain. She tilted her head to one side, so that she could gaze at the spot where Von had killed the dragon, but not at the temple, that had forsaken her and doomed her love. Tears were trickling down the side of her face. Inside, she felt dead. She'd given up all hope of ever being happy again and her soul was in a black void of nothingness. "Goodbye, Von. I love you," She whispered. Suddenly there was a sound as if the sky was being ripped apart, and she looked up to see something rushing towards her, a coloum of light. She was surrounded by it, she was part of it, and she belonged to the light, and where ever it would go she would have to follow. She felt its power, pulling at her, lifting her feet up from the ground. She smiled, happiness and love filling the void of darkness. She gave herself up to the light willingly, and as she was rushed away from Earth and hurtled to Gaea, she knew nothing except a great, overwhelming joy.  
  
Hitomi landed into a field of soft, lush grass. She stood up, and brushed the grass from her knees. She looked around. Behind her was a huge forest, and further on in the distance she could just make out some mountains. It was hard to see in the gloom. In front of her lay a city, full of lights and, even though it was night time, bursting with activity and energy. It was a beautiful place. Hitomi recognised her surroundings immediately. She was in Fanelia. She looked up to the night sky, and saw Earth, the Mystic Moon, up there with the stars and the Moon. She laughed, a happiness so strong filled her heart that she thought that she'd explode if she didn't do something. So she twirled around and around the field, her arms held up to the sky. "Thank you, thank you!" She cried. "Thank you for sending me back to Von!" Laughing, dizzy with happiness and motion, she did several cart wheels in a row and collapsed in a heap on the grass. She stayed on the grass where she fell and she sighed happily, breathing in the sweet, fresh smell of Fanelia. The grass was comfortable, and cooled Hitomi's skin, which had been warmed by her dancing and frolicking. Tired from all of the day's emotions, and drunk with happiness, Hitomi closed her eyes and before she could do anything, she was fast asleep in the fields of Fanelia. * * * * The beautiful sound of a bird celebrating life and the birth of a new day pierced into Hitomi's peaceful sleep. Hitomi's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, not knowing, for a second, where she was. When she remembered, she smiled, happiness dancing in her light green eyes, adding sparkle and life to her delicate face. Her hair and clothes were damp from the morning's dew, and her muscles were sore from sleeping on the ground, but Hitomi didn't care. How could someone worry about silly things like that on a day like this? The sky was a heavenly mixture of pinks, oranges and golds, the fluffly clouds looking like jewels in a sea of beauty. The mountains, icy blue by nature had now gained a soft, pinkish light, making them more magnificent than they already were. The unreachable, though completely desirable beauty of the sky and the mountains made a contrast between the fresh, green grass and the lively, friendly city, but they complimented each other and together they made a view that was truly breath taking, overwhelmingly beautiful. Hitomi yawned and stretched, slowly got up and eagerly went towards the city. She passed the city gates with no problem at all. She overheard one of the traders saying that they were going to a market place in the city centre. She remembered a market place in front of the palace when she had first came, and she knew for a fact that the palace was in the city centre, so she decided to follow them in the hope that they would lead her to the palace. No one talked to her or asked her where she came from, but she could tell from the strange looks she got from people in the street that they'd noticed how foreign her clothes were. As she made her way through the city, she also noticed how nice it looked- there were flowers and banners, and baskets of confetti everywhere. Every one seemed extra happy, yet they seemed to have a lot more work to do than when Hitomi had first came. As they neared the market place, she immediately recognised it and the palace was just behind it, surrounded by plants, trees and flowers. With a quick jolt of fear, Hitomi remember the vision she'd had. It had shown Fanelia rebuilt and functioning, decorated with flowers, banners and pretty lights, for some special occasion- Exactely like now. How could she forget that awful vision? She stepped out of the way of the traders and their carts, and carefully looked around her. Everything was pretty and jolly, but her powers helped her see through that, and she felt that it was all very fake. Hitomi felt very disturbed. What was wrong with Fanelia? She began to walk away from the palace, her worries stirring uneasily in her chest. "Fanelia's like a juicy, red apple, and when you see it you think 'Ohhhhh, I bet that'll taste nice' and you take a bite and there's a worm in it," Hitomi thought. She stood still for a moment, trying to work out what was wrong. She couldn't find an answer. She spotted a young boy of about ten sitting on the pavement making wreathes out of flowers. She walked up to him. "Hello," She said. The boy looked up at her, and took in her boyish hair style and strange clothes before answering warily: "Hello, Miss," Hitomi smiled, trying to make up for the fact that she was so obviously foreign. "I was wondering if you could tell me why there is so much decoration in the city at the moment. Do you know?" She asked. The boy looked suprised. "For the marriage, of course," He said, as if it were obvious to everyone. "Marriage?" Hitomi felt sick with dread. "Who's getting married?" She already knew the answer, but she had to know for sure. "King Von, Miss," He answered quite pleasantly, before adding: "You're not from around here, are you, Miss?"  
  
(cue dramatic music) Dum dum DUM! Ohhhhhhhh Noooooo ! Wasn't that just terrible?! I know I'll never forgive Von! What did you think ? Please review so I know what to improve. Does it make any sense? Is my spelling really bad? Is it really boring? Do I describe things to much or not enough? Is Hitomi acting in character? Urgh.I wish I'd never started this now! Please review and play nice or I'll do something really evil! Love (or hate, depending on how evil I'm feeling) From J.R 


	2. Love or Hate

Dear People,  
  
Just to say my story is no longer a G or what ever it was. It's PG-13 now, coz there's going to be some swearing (but not a lot).Any one who feels tempted to send flames, please do. I find them very amusing, though I would prefer constructive critisim. Thank you to the two people who reviewed my story, I was v. happy to read your comments.  
  
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  
  
Love From,  
  
The Very Evil Daughter Of Lord Voldemort, Juliet Riddle  
  
P.s Thank you Angel of Light for correcting my spelling!  
  
Chapter 2-  
  
Hitomi stared at the boy, numb with shock. "What?…" She said weakly, hoping to have misheard. The boy peered at her suddenly pale face and looked concerned. "Are you alright, Miss?" He asked worriedly. "I'm…fine. Just fine." Hitomi answered, her voice trembling. "King Von…who? Who is he marrying?" She looked as though she were struggling to keep her temper, and she sounded strained. Yet, inside, she didn't feel anything- she was completely numb, drained of any emotion. "He's marrying Princess Leeana of Paymere, Miss. In three days time." Hitomi stumbled away from the boy, "Thank you," she choked on the words before walking with a slight difficulty in the opposite direction of the palace. The boy stared after her, wondering who she was.  
  
Merle hummed happily to herself, searching for something pretty to buy from the market. "Ohhhh, what's that?" She asked as she picked up a disc with a hole in it. It was silver, but in the light it made lots of pretty colours like a rainbow. "It's from the Mystic Moon, Miss. It would make a lovely necklace, don't you think?"  
  
"Hmmm. Do you know what the people on the Mystic Moon used it for?" Merle asked, carefully turning the disc over and inspecting it at all angles. "No, Miss. Not for sure." Merle sighed. "I bet Hitomi would know," Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar figure. She turned her head so that she could see better. "Hitomi!" the cat-girl exclaimed. She dropped the disc and rushed towards Hitomi, knocking over stalls and confetti stands. "Hitomi, Hitomi! Over here!…"  
  
Hitomi heard someone call her name. She stopped, and glanced over her shoulder. Merle! She felt a surge of panic. She didn't want to talk to Merle, or see Von, or anyone she'd ever known on Gaea. She just wanted to leave and forget this ever happened. Forcing her legs to move, Hitomi broke into a run. Merle's annoyed shouts could be heard just behind her, but Hitomi ignored them. "Hitooooomiiiii! Wait up, you stupid girl!" Hitomi felt a clawed hand grab her elbow and she was forced to skid to a halt. She turned round to face an angry looking Merle. "What is wrong with you, you stupid girl?!" Merle demanded. "Did you have to run off?" Hitomi felt an huge bubble of anger rise up inside her. "Shut up, Merle!" She said savagely. Merle looked shocked, stunned into silence. "You're one to talk about running off! My back is turned for barely a year and already Van's gone off with someone else! I did everything for him and he just forgot about me! He used me!" Hitomi was shouting at the top of her lungs and a fairly big crowd had gathered, but she didn't care. She paused for breath. "Hitomi! It's not like that, you don't under"-  
  
Hitomi didn't let her finish. "Is she prettier than me? Can she save Gaea better than me? Huh!" She laughed bitterly, her anger almost gone. "She maybe a princess but there are more important things! Like love. And trust. Tell him, Merle. Tell him I loved him, and that he could have had it all, but he wanted it to be this way." Hitomi now spoke quietly, her anger had disappeared and left only sadness. "Oh, Hitomi, please"-  
  
"No, Merle. I don't want to hear you make excuses for him." Hitomi now sounded strangely calm but she was shaking and she had butterflies in her stomach. "I'm going home, now. I never want to see you, Van, or anyone else from Gaea ever again. I'm going to forget Van just as he forgot me and then I'm going do useful things with my time- like find a decent boyfriend. Good bye, Merle. Have a nice life." Hitomi closed her eyes and willed the bright light to come again. When she opened her eyes it had come, and had surrounded her. She felt herself being lifted off the ground. "Hitomi! Wait!" Merle cried. Hitomi shook her head, and was gone. "Hitooooomiiii!" Merle wailed, in vain; Hitomi was gone, and it was her wish never to come back. "Lord Van!" She thought suddenly. "I have to tell him!" She ran to the palace, shouting, "Lord Van! Lord Van!!!"  
  
Van Fanel, King of all Fanelia, sighed and looked out of the window. "I don't want to marry her, Allen." He said. "You have to. If you don't, the king of Paymere will declare war on Fanelia. Do you really want to see Fanelia in ruins once again?" Allen asked. He felt sorry for Van, and for Hitomi, but the lives of many people could be destroyed and he couldn't let that happen. "Hitomi and Fanelia are the two things I love the most! How can I choose between them?" Van said despairingly. "Fate has already chosen for you. Hitomi is on the Mystic Moon and you are on Gaea. You could never be together, even without this. You might be married to another, but it doesn't mean you don't love her."  
  
"I can't do that to Hitomi," Van looked at Allen in anguish."What she doesn't know can't hurt her. It may not be very gentlemanly, but it will be better if she doesn't know. Besides, the wedding is three days away. You can't back out now." Allen said reasonably, though, he himself disliked the advice he was giving. "She's not all that bad, you know. She's pretty for one. And eductated." Van scowled. "I don't love her," he said darkly. "No, but maybe one day you will grow to love her, and you'll be happy. You'll be able to have children, a family- all the things you can't have with Hitomi."  
  
"Hitomi and I could have a family. We'd be happy."  
  
"And ask Hitomi to leave her mother and father? Remember what it was like to lose your family, Van. Could you really do that to her?"  
  
"Then I'd go to the Mystic Moon." Van insisted, with his usual stubborness. "What about Fanelia? Van, see sense." Von opened his mouth to say something when Merle flew in. "Lord Van!" She shouted. "Merle! What are you doing here?" Van asked her, surprised. Merle gasped, and waited a second to get her breath back. "Hitomi! She was here and she's found out!"  
  
"Hitomi's here?!" Van exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "Where?"  
  
"What did she find out, Merle?" Allen asked. "About the marriage! Hitomi was so upset…she's gone now."  
  
"Oh no…" Von moaned, and sitting down, he buried his face in his hands. "Lord Van?" Said Merle anxiously. He lifted his face from his hands. His face was pale. "What did she say?" He spoke in almost a whisper. "She said…er…" Merle nibbled a claw, trying to remember. "Oh yeah! She said to tell you that she loved you, and you could have had everything, but you wanted all this to happen. She didn't let me explain. I'm so sorry, Lord Van." Van groaned, and once again covered his face. She put an arm around him to comfort him, but he pushed it away. She whimpered, half offended and half unhappy for Van. "I'm sorry, Merle," he said huskily. "What else did Hitomi say?" Allen asked. "Ahhh…she told me that she never wanted to see any of us again. She said she was going to forget any of this ever happened, like Gaea never even existed."  
  
Allen looked shocked. "Hitomi…" He murmered sadly. Van lifted his head and stood up. "I've got to tell her," He said determinedly, once more a King. "I've got to tell her the truth!"  
  
"Lord Van, please don't leave!" Merle cried. "Van! Don't be a fool! Leave the poor girl be. She hates you now. Let her get over it, and let her get on with her life." Allen said sternly. "What?! Allen, No! She has a right to know!" Van thundered, and turned his back to walk swiftly out of the room, but Allen placed himself in front of Van, and blocked his exit. "You'll just hurt her even more. I can't let you go, Van." His face hardened and his voice was commanding. It annoyed Van to be told what to do. "Get out of my way!" He spat, trying to push past Allen, but Allen stepped back into his path. Van pushed him so that he stumbled, and made to run past, but at the last minute Allen grabbed him from behind and pulled him to the floor. "Allen! Get off me!" Van shouted. "Leave him alone!" Merle shrieked in the background. Allen dodged his kicks and locked his arms and legs. "I'm sorry, Van," He muttered. "Guards!" Allen shouted. Several guards came. "The King is not feeling himself today"-  
  
"Why you son of a …" Van shouted, still struggling to get free.  
  
"Could two of you please take him to his chamber and make sure he doesn't harm himself"-  
  
"I'll harm you if you don't get off me!"  
  
"Tie him up if need be"-  
  
"How dare you, Allen Schazar! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"  
  
"While you," Allen inclined his head in the direction of a dark-haired soldier, "go and get a Healer. And hurry."  
  
The guard ran of to get a Healer, and the other two in one graceful movement each grapped Van's arms and legs. Allen got off him and they man- handled the swearing, shouting King to his room.  
  
"Lord Van!" Merle cried.  
  
"Merle!" His shouts could be heard as the guards carried him away. "Scratch his eyes out! Poison his drink! Get Gekos to kidnap him! Merle! Meeerrleeee!"  
  
Merle sniffed, tears in her eyes. "Lord Van…" She struggled not to cry. Instead she turned her attention to Allen, who stood gazing after Van. She felt her unhappiness quickly turn to anger. "Allen!" She hissed at him, her cat-self more pronounced as she got angrier. "How could you do that to him? What is wrong with you? Are you crazy? You're supposed to be his friend! Why do you want to stop him from seeing Hitomi?" She growled at him, showing him her claws. He looked surprised by her outrage. "He's a king, you owe him respect, you…you…traitor!!" She swiped at him with her claws, leaving 5 long scratches on his arm. "Ow! Merle!" Allen exclaimed, seeing his blood gush out of the wounds. "Serves you right! Meeewww!!!" She ran off, hissing and spitting.  
  
When the Healer came, she gave Van a herb that made him sleep for 3 days, and when he woke it was the day of his wedding.  
  
The groung was rushing forward at a tremendous speed, and as she thought she'd be smashed, the light went and Hitomi was kneeling on the grass, breathing heavily. It was night, just as she had left. She stood up slowly, because she felt she couldn't trust her legs to hold her weight. She felt awful. She was tired from her anger, and there was a deep loneliness in her heart, a terrible sence of loss- not just as though she'd lost Von, but a part of her very being. She looked at the temple, and remembered the feeling of happiness she'd had when she was transported to Gaea. 'Huh! I shouldn't have bothered. What a jerk!' She thought bitterly. Better go home now. She turned round. Even her heart froze for a moment, before pumping adrenaline into her blood stream at a fearsome rate. Her eyes wide with fear gazed into those evil blood-red eyes and Hitomi knew it wasn't a trick of the light and she wasn't dreaming. "Dilandou." She whispered.  
  
Once again, I leave ya hangin'! Ha ha! Don't worry, I'll update soon (or at least I'll try) so you won't have very long to die of suspense! Please remember to review, or Lord Voldemort will pay you a visit! (he's my dad by the way, as you've probably guessed already)  
  
Love From, J.R 


	3. Good or Evil

Amano, Dilandau, Van, Amano, Dilandou, Von…Oh hi! Sorry about my spelling *hides face with embaressment* Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing! I was glad just for two people to review, so now I'm really, really happy! I'll try to put up new chapters really often, but it takes 24 hours or something like that for the chapter to be added for some reason. Oh and Kara- I'm a digimon fan too! I'll read and review your stories when Exam Week at my school is over (I know, what a drag)  
  
Okay, well I suppose you just want to read the fic and I won't shut up, so I'll shut up now. Bye!  
  
Juliet Riddle  
  
Chapter 3- Good or Evil?  
  
His mouth curled upwards, and in a grafeful movement he tossed his fringe out of the way of his eyes. "That's right, girlie," He said smoothly. "I'm back," And he chuckled. It sounded meanacing and made Hitomi tremble with fear. "What…what are you doing here?" Her voice trembled and sounded full of tears. He stood casually, as though they were a couple having a nice chat. What surprised Hitomi the most about him was his clothes- they were Earth clothes. He looked like any other teenage boy, handsome and young and normal. That was what chilled Hitomi the most.  
  
"How…?" She croacked. "It's quite simple, really. When the Druids performed those experiments on Celena, they thought they were changing her, but they weren't. In reality, they were creating someone new- me. When Celena regained control of her body, my spirit was forced to flee, and I had to find someone new. That's when I thought of my plan." He chuckled again. "You don't need to know about that." He smiled a cruel, hard smile. "Do you know who I chose to be my host, Hitomi? Can you guess?" Hitomi felt terror rise to her throat. "Who did you choose?" She whispered. He tilted his head to on side, surveying her cooly. Hitomi felt as though he could see right through to her very soul, and it made her feel deeply uncomfortable. "I chose a young girl…reddish hair, quite pretty…her name was Yukari. A friend of yours, perhaps?" Hitomi gasped. "You're lying!" She shouted, feeling waves of panic all through her body. Within a second Dilandau had grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. Their faces were inches apart. "Don't…you EVER call me a liar again!" He said with barely contained anger. Hitomi looked into his eyes and the lack of sanity in them terrified her. He was holding her wrist so tight it hurt. "Let go! You're hurting me!" She whimpered, trying to break free. Dilandau just held her even tighter. "I'll hurt you even more if you don't shut up and listen!" He hissed. Hitomi stopped almost at once. 'Oh God…this can't be happening…' She whispered inside her head. Dilandau released her and she stepped back from him, rubbing her sore wrist. "Hitomi, do you know what I'll do if you don't obey me?" Dilandau had regained his cool composure, and his voice was as smooth as ever. She shook her head, praying that she wouldn't break down in tears or start screaming, unable to stop. "I'll kill Yukari," He said softly. "I'll stab myself. After all, this isn't my body. I don't have one."  
  
"Leave her alone," Hitomi tried to sound brave and strong, but she was disgusted to hear how frightened and pathetic her voice sounded. "Hitomi, if I do kill Yukari, do you know who I'm going to choose next?" He leaned forward, and whispered in her ear: "You." Hitomi let out a small scream but put her hand over her mouth to muffle it. 'Oh God, help me…' She thought. It was a true prayer. "Wait a minute." she said loudly. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Dilandau chuckled. "Clever little thing, aren't you?" He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head up so that they made eye contact. As frightened as she was, her disgust and fury at being touched by him outweighed the other emotions. She pushed his hand away from her. "Don't touch me!" She spat. As soon as she caught sight of his face she wished she hadn't said anything. It was full of hate and evil. She suddenly realized how easily he could kill her and how powerless she'd be to stop him. "Hitomi." He struggled to keep his voice even. She could tell he was desperate to hit her. "Are you willing to risk your best friend's life on a hunch? What if I'm telling the truth, Hitomi? What will you do then?" He laughed. "Check-mate!" He said. Hitomi sighed. "What do you want?"  
  
"I don't need you yet- I'll find you when I do." He stepped back and seemed to melt into the shadows. "Oh and Hitomi…if you tell anyone about this, I will know. And when I do, I'll kill you," He laughed. "Sweet dreams," He said. Hitomi sank to the ground. He was gone. She let out a deep, shuddering breath and waited for her heartbeat to return to normal. When she was sure she had recovered enough to walk, she made her way out of the temple grounds.  
  
She saw her Dad's car waiting for her and stopped in surprise. Her Dad saw her and rolling down the window, he called: "Come on, Hitomi! Your Mum'll be wondering where we've got too!"  
  
"Huh?" She said, getting into the car. "Sorry it took so long in the office, Hitomi, I couldn't find the rightpaper work. Okay, lets go!"  
  
'Paperwork?' Hitomi said to her self in a daze. "Ohh! The paperwork!" She said in a flash of comprehension. So much had happened in the past few hours she'd completely forgotten about her Dad, waiting to take her back home. Her Dad gave her a strange look. "Are you alright, Hitomi?"  
  
"Err..yeah, I'm great." She would never understand that whenever she came back from Gaea, barely anytime had passed from when she'd left. "You feeling better now? Has the trip to the temple helped clear you thoughts about this boy you don't want to tell us about?" It took her a few seconds to remember what he meant. When she did, she felt a pang of unhappiness. "Yeah…we broke up. He was a creep. I never really liked him anyway," She said, looking out of the window so he wouldn't notice she was crying. "Hitomi, I'm sorry. You should have told us. We could have helped you through this." Hitomi smiled at her Dad, and suddenly felt the desperate need to talk about how she felt. "When I met him I really thought 'Wow, this is it. This is the love of my life.' I was so stupid, Dad." Her father glanced at her. He took hold of his hand. "Hey, don't think like that. That boy is the stupid one, not you. He was stupid to let my beautiful little girl go. You'll meet nicer boys and one day you'll find the right one and you'll stay together for the rest of your lives." He smiled, his eyes still on the road. Hitomi smiled as well, though it was fake. "Thanks, Dad. Was it like that with you and Mummy?" He looked at her quickly and nodded. " I love her and I always will. One day, I promise, you'll meet your man."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
It was a Wednesday night, and Yukari was now offically missing. For Hitomi, this was proof that Dilandau had not been lying. Every time a door slammed shut, or she heard footsteps, she was terrified that it was Dilandau. She'd gone off her food and spent almost all her time in her room. Her peaents were worried about her, but decided that she probably was just upset about Yukari, which she was. As she sat at her desk that night, trying to do her homework, Hitomi couldn't concentrate. Her eyes drifted from the page to the window. Once again, she felt fear overpower her. "Hello, Dilandau," She murmured. He was in the street, looking at her. When he noticed her, he motioned for her to come and then hid in the bushes. She shuddered. How did he know were she lived? Oh yeah. If what he said about Yukari was true, then he must have found her address somewhere in Yukari's room. Doh!  
  
She got up, anxious not to annoy him. She decided to do her best to please him so there'd be no danger of him destroying Yukari's body while she could find out how to save her best friend. She crept out of the house, careful not to alert her parents. "Dilandau?" She called softly. She moved closer to the bushes. "Dilandau? Are you there?"  
  
"Here, Hitomi," said a cold voice behind her. She whirled round. "Don't creep up on me like that!" she exclaimed. Dilandau scowled. Hitomi reminded herself to always be respectful towards him. It was dangerous not to be. "Do not tell me what to do. Next time you do that you might find something rather unpleasant has happenened to you overnight. You could find that you have a hand missing, for example. Do you understand?" Hitomi nodded, her heart beating so fast she thought it would explode. She doubted she'd ever been more afraid. "Yes…sir."  
  
"Good," He smirked. "I see you're learning good manners at last," Hitomi suppressed the urge to slap him. "Come," He said, and walked off. Hitomi followed. She had no choice. He lead her to the run-down part of town, a place she'd never been allowed to go. He stopped outside an unsafe looking block of flats. "This is H.Q. The Ziabach soldiers you will see here are rebels- they escaped from Freid's rule thanks to me."  
  
"Ziabach is now ruled by Freid?" Dilandau nodded, and entered the dingy looking buliding. Hitomi thought of Chid and wondered what had happened to him over the past year. She followed Dilandau up a flight of stairs and stopped in front of a flat door . Dilandau glanced over his shoulder at Hitomi. "This is the control room. I used the power of my wishes to obtain these machines."  
  
He opened the door. Several Ziabach soldiers were operating the complicated controls, and they had lots of interesting gadgets and machines, but what intridgued Hitomi the most was something that looked like a lift, but had strange buttons and dials on the side. "Dilandau…what's that machine?" Hitomi pointed to it. "Lord Dilandau." Dilandau corrected. "Huh ?" Dilandau's expression was one of irritation. "You will refer to me as 'Lord Dilandau' or 'sir' for the time you will be working for me."  
  
'Working for him? Who said I was going to do that? Oh God, what have I got myself in to?' Hitomi asked herself deseperately. "This machine," Dilandau gestured toward the lift, "Is a way of transporting people to and from Gaea. It is a controlled and invisible form of the pillar of light which you have already experienced. This was one of the projects Folken was working on before he became a whimp and rejoined Fanelia."  
  
"Folken was not a whimp!" Hitromi cried indignantly. Dilandau hit her hard across the face, knocking her to the floor. "How dare you contradict me!" He yelled at her. She kneeled on the floor, her hand resting the side of her face. Her cheek throbbed and she felt like crying- no one had ever hit her before as her Mum didn't believe in it and her Dad was too soft- hearted. "Get up!" Dilandau spat. "Yes, Lord Dilandau." She muttered. She belonged to him now. As she got up, Dilandau explained what her first assignment would be."Using this machine that I have shown you, we will send you to Ziabach where you will learn how to behave like a gentlewoman of Ziabach. When you have finished your training you are to stay there and await further orders." Hitomi stared at him in disbelif. "You're sending me to finishing school?"  
  
"Finishing school?" Dilandau repeated, looking disgusted at not knowing something. "Don't worry, it doesn't matter. Sir." Hitomi got into the strange lift-thing with a sickening feeling of dread. "Margen, set the transporter," Dilandau ordered. "Yes, sir." Dilandau smiled at Hitomi, though it wasn't a friendly one. It was mocking and cruel. "The transporter is still in the early stages, so you might end up on Mars." He laughed. "Have a good trip!" Hitomi opened her mouth to say she didn't want to go- it was too risky, and she might be to important in Dilandau's scheme to lose- but she realized it was to late as the room became blurry, as though she were looking at the world through a pool of water. Everything around her became watery and indistinct, until she didn't even know where she was anymore. She felt as though she was flowing with the water, a part of it. Then everything went black and Hitomi couldn't feel her body. Hitomi's last conscious thought was: 'I wonder if I'm dying?'  
  
Did you like it? Sorry it took so long!  
  
1 J.R 


	4. The Arrival of the Witch

Hi people! Sorry this chapter is short and boring, and I can't promise I'll update soon, because it's Exam Week next week and I need to revise (arrg!)  
  
Lovies and Kisses, J.R  
  
1 Chapter 4- The Arrival of the Witch  
  
The darkness disappeared and Hitomi found herself in a quiet town. In front of her stood a large manor house. She looked up to the sky and knew she was on Gaea. "I guess Dilandau's machine did work, after all," She muttered. As she heard a door open she whirled round and saw a maid come out of the manor house. Their eyes met. "Miss Hitomi?" The maid asked timidly. Hitomi stepped closer to her. "Yes, I'm Hitomi," she said. The maid wore an expression of relief as she led Hitomi into the house. She stopped at a flight of elegant stairs. "We've been expecting you, so you already have a place prepared for you," Hitomi wondered who 'we' was. The house was absolutely silent and she'd seen no one apart from the maid. "My name is Maria. I will make sure you have what you need and that your quarters are clean and tidy. Have you already eaten?"  
  
"Yes, I have. I'm not hungry."  
  
"Good. Breakfast is at eight o clock. You will be woken at seven by me, Miss." They had arrived. Maria took out a set of keys and unlocked a beautifully decorated door. She went first, and started lighting candles around the room. "This is your lounge." Maria told her. Hitomi gasped. It was wonderful! Two couches faced each other, in between them a soft, beautiful rug. There was a lovely painting of a fresh spring day on the peach walls, and in the corner was a bookcase made of dark wood cut into patterns and glass doors. What impressed her the most was a set of glass french doors leading to a small balcony. "Wow," she breathed. "This is were you are to receive guests. You won't be here very often." She opened a door to the left of the room. "This is your bed chamber." Hitomi took a peek. "A four-poster bed?! Isn't this a bit much? I mean, I'm not a lady or something…" Maria strode into the luxurious bedroom. She lit several candles, and then carried in the rest from the lounge. "This room is perfectly suited to you, Miss Hitomi. If you're not a lady now, you'll become one soon enough."  
  
"Please, call me Hitomi." Hitomi said, feeling uncomfortable. "Yes, Miss. Would you like me to show you your wardrobe now? It would be better if you knew what is acceptable to wear in these parts." Hitomi wondered whether Maria was trying to insult her. Maria took out a long white dress with long sleeves and neck. Hitomi stared at it, wide-eyed. "You want me to wear that?" She asked unbelievingly. "This is just your main dress. You can wear over that different over-garments, like this one." She pulled out a light green dress, that came to Hitomi's knees and had baggy sleeves that ended at the elbows. Around the v-shaped neck of the dress, selves and bottom, were elaborate patterns embroidered with the upmost care. Hitomi gently touched the material. It felt soft and light. It was beautiful. "This is the over-garment you wear indoors. With this one you wear these on your feet." She showed Hitomi a pair of pale green slippers. They looked and felt like silk. Maria took out a dress exactly like the first one, except it finished at the wrists and the ankles, and was made of a thicker material, but it was just as soft as the the short one. "This is the over- garment for going outside. When you wish to leave the house, you will replace your indoor over-garment with one of these. The slippers should be changed to these boots," Maria held up a pair of soft, leather boots. "I have to change clothes every time I want to go outside?!" Maria quickly gathered the indoor garments and put them on a chair. "Miss Hitomi, that is the way we do things here," She said stiffly. Hitomi felt that she'd put her foot in it. She hadn't been here ten minutes, and she'd already offended someone! "It's…it's not that I don't like these clothes, they're beautiful, really nice, it's just, um, I'm not used to this, I mean, maids and stuff…not that I think being a maid is bad! It's very good, I think a maid must be a very…satisfying job, it's just, errr…" Hitomi stopped when she saw that Maria was smiling. "Don't worry so much, Miss Hitomi," Hitomi smiled with relief. "Thanks,"  
  
"Oh, and your under-garments are in the drawer. Are you tired?" Maria closed the wardrobe when she saw everything was back in its place. Hitomi yawned. "A little," Maria opened one of the drawers and removed a night dress. "Here you go, Miss Hitomi. Your bathroom is just there," She pointed at a door to the right of the room. "Have good dreams, Miss." Maria turned, and closing the door behind her, left the room."Good night, Maria," Hitomi said softly.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Hitomi heard something, and opened her eyes. Maria was opening the curtains. Hitomi screwed up her eyes against the light. "Already?" She said sleepily. Maria glanced at her. "Oh! You're awake. Good morning. Slept well I trust?" Hitomi groaned. "I'm sleepy," She complained, and rolled over. Maria went up to her, and shook her gently on the shoulder. "Wake up, Miss. It's a beautiful morning outside." Miss? Why was she being called Miss? "Five more minutes, Mum," Hitomi muttered. Maria raised her voice."Miss Hitomi!"  
  
"Ahhhh!" Hitomi shot up in bed, looking around frantically. She spotted Maria, and, remembering where she was, relaxed. "Good morning, Maria."  
  
"Good Morning, Miss Hitomi. Breakfast is in an hour. You have time to get washed, if you so wish."  
  
"Huh…I think I'll have nice, relaxing bath. Am I allowed?"  
  
"Yes, Miss. I'll go and run it for you right away."  
  
"Thank you, but I can do it myself. Really." She added, as Maria gave her a hard stare. As Maria was about to go, Hitomi said: "Oh, and Maria?"  
  
Maria stopped, and faced Hitomi. "Yes, Miss?"  
  
"When is my, um, 'lady training' going to start?"  
  
"Today, Miss. Mrs.Hatetonly will be teaching you." Maria hesitated for a second, before continuing: "A word of advice, Miss. Don't annoy her. She's very…bitter towards most people, and you don't want to get on her bad side."  
  
"What's she like?"  
  
"You won't tell her I told you, will you?" Hitomi smiled. "I promise,"  
  
" Well, for one, she's a fire-breathing old dragon. She'll insult you dawn till dusk and she won't ever give you a moments peace. She's a nightmare!" Maria told Hitomi enthusiastically. Hitomi suddenly noticed someone behind Maria. "Um, Maria"-  
  
"She's awful! A real harpy! Mrs. Hatetonly is really, really bi.."-  
  
"That's enough, Maria," Said an icy voice behind her. Maria almost jumped out of her skin. "Err..H-Hello, Mrs. Hatetonly!" She stuttered. Hitomi gasped. This woman was Mrs.Hatetonly? She prayed that Mrs. H hadn't heard what Maria had said. The greying woman looked at Maria sternly. "I trust you've been attending to your duties?"  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
"Is our guest's bath running?"  
  
"No, Ma'am, but"-  
  
Maria was cut short as she received a hard blow to her left cheek. Hitomi gasped, both surprised and sorry for Maria. "Mrs. Hatetonly!" She called. Mrs. Hateonly fixed her glimmering brown eyes onto Hitomi. They made her want to crawl under a large rock and hide untill Mrs. Hateonly had gone. She reminded herself how Maria had called her 'Miss' and must also be this woman's superior, before continuing. "I asked Maria not to run my bath for me as I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. Please refrain from harming my maid." Hitomi wowed herself with her posh-speak. "Very well, Miss Hitomi." Mrs. Hatetonly said in her hard, icy tone. "It is as you wish," And, with that, she swept out of the room. Safe in the knowledge that The Witch had gone. Hitomi slipped out of bed to where Maria was standing. "Maria!" She cried, feeling distressed. "Are you alright? She's such a stroppy cow! Does she always hit you like that? You should tell some one!"  
  
Maria snorted. "Ain't no one to tell," She muttered. Hitomi shuddered. "Urgh. And to think I have to spend every day with that woman…"  
  
"I'll go and run your bath, Miss." Hitomi let her go,disturbed that the servants were treated so badly.  
  
Hitomi stood in front of the full-length mirror, amazed at the result. Maria looked at her admiringly, her face full of pride. "So you're a pretty one, after all," She murmured. She was right; The green brought out her eyes, and the long skirts swishing around her emphasised her tall, graceful frame. Maria had scraped her hair back and secured it using a green bow to match the dress, which made her look as though she had long hair put into a bun and hidden under the bow. It made Hitomi look a lot more feminine. The lack of hair around her face brought attention to Hitomi's delicate features. The vision in the mirror was one of beauty and grace. 'Can this really be me?' Hitomi wondered. Maria smiled grimly. "You might as well look nice for breakfast with Mrs.Hatetonly, though I doubt it will help you much,"  
  
"The Witch?!" Hitomi yelled. "I'm having breakfast with The Witch?"  
  
Maria looked at her strangeley. "Mrs. Hateonly," Hitomi explained. Understanding broke on Maria's face. "Oh, you mean Harpy." Hitomi laughed. "Is that what you call her? She's definitely worse," Maria nodded in agreement. "If she's worse what can I call her?"  
  
"Hmmm. Tough one. What's evil, ugly and a pain in the you know where?"  
  
They laughed again, both their troubles forgotten, just two young girls having a laugh.  
  
Like it, hate it? I think it's rubbish! I'll try and make the next chapter more interesting. Byeeeeeeeeeeee! Julirt Riddle 


	5. No Man's Land

Quite a lot happens in this chapter, but does it go to fast? Please tell! Thank you for all the reviews so far! Sorry this chapter took so long. I have no excuse. I'm a bad girl.  
  
See you everyone!  
  
Love From Juliet Riddle  
  
1 Chapter 5- The bite of the snake  
  
Hitomi's fears proved to be right- Mrs. Hateonly's lessons were awful. She criticised the way Hitomi walked, talked, acted and looked. She was showered with insults almost every single time she saw Mrs. Hateonly. As time went by, Hitomi's fear and dislike for the woman steadily increased, uniting the two girls. Maria was almost as close to her as Yukari had been. On one particulary bad lesson with Mrs. Hateonly, Hitomi snapped. She'd been learning to serve tea the 'proper' way and spilt some onto the table cloth, getting the usual scornful remark from Mrs. Hateonly.  
  
"You stupid girl! What is wrong with you, you disgusting, bad- mannered…peasant. You're worse than Maria. At least she just about knows how to behave! why do I have to teach something like you? You're nothing but a hussy!" Mrs. Hateonly spat at Hitomi. That was it. Her patience, strained so much from the tormentings of Mrs. Hateonly, was squashed completely by her anger. "You bitch!" Hitomi exclaimed. Mrs. Hateonly jerked back, as though she'd been slapped. "What?!" She shrieked. Hitomi stood up, almost knocking the cups off the table. "I've had enough of it! The only bad mannered person around here is you! What's the point of this anyway? I don't need go to finishing school! This is utterly pointless and stupid! Stuff this, I'm going home!" Hitomi fled to her room.  
  
She slammed the door shut to her room and ran to her bed. She sat down breathing heavily. The door to her bathroom opened and Maria came out. "I thought I heard someone come in! You're a bit early, aren't you." She looked at Hitomi's face. "Oh! Hitomi! What's the matter?" Maria sat next to her, and put an arm around her, in an attempt to comfort her. "What happened?" She said softly. "Mrs. Hateonly…" Hitomi sniffed. "Oh, The Witch. What did she do?"  
  
Hitomi took a deep breath, and felt a sob rise. "She…she called me a hussy. She said…she said nasty things about the both of us. And I…Oh Maria, I've just made it worse. She'll never forgive me, and she'll take it out on you!" Hitomi screwed her face up in an effort not to cry and leaned her head onto Maria's shoulder. Maria was the only one she had left now. Everyone she loved- her family, Van, Yukari…they'd all been taken away from her, and losing Maria would be too much to bear. "It can't be that bad…" Maria murmured. "Yes it is. I called her a bitch. I told her she was bad mannered and that I was going home."  
  
"Wow!" Maria exclaimed. "You put The Witch back in 'er place! I wish I'd been there!" She began to laugh. Hitomi laughed as well, but the laughs turned into sobs and she was crying. Maria held her rocking her back and forth. "Shhhhh." She whispered. "We'll be okay. Shhhh. Don't cry, Hitomi." Hitomi lifted her head. "It's not just that!" She cried. "I lost them, I lost them! I lost all of them…" Maria held her tight, while Hitomi sobbed and shouted and cursed. For the first time, Hitomi realised that she had truly lost Van, that she couldn't help Yukari, and her parents were on another planet. Would she see any of them ever again?  
  
When she finished crying, the two girls sat in the middle of the bed, and Hitomi, her head on Maria's shoulder, told Maria everything. "Van was the one. You know, the person who you're meant to spend the rest of your life with? That was him. But then, when I went to see him, I found out he was getting married…the coward hadn't even bothered to tell me."  
  
"Oh, Hitomi, that's terrible."  
  
"That's not all. When I came back, Dilandau had taken possesion of Yukari's body, my best friend. She's as good as dead now. I've gone along with everything that Dilandau has said, so he won't kill her, but what can I do? I have no idea how to help her. She's gone." Saying the words out loud made them more real. A huge wave of despair engulfed Hitomi. "Hitomi, you could save her. Reach out to her."  
  
"What do you mean, Maria?"  
  
"When you next see Dilandau, see past his face. See Yukari. Your powers will make it easier for you. When you see her, pull her back, reach out to her mentally, and concentrate on how much you care, and she will come back, but if she isn't strong enough to expel Dilandau from her body, you can only call her back for a little while. But it's dangerous, Hitomi. You shouldn't do it."  
  
"Maria, how do you know about this?" Maria smiled. "My grandmother was a Spirit Healer. I inherited the knowledge and a bit of the talent, though I could never be as good as she was." Hitomi felt a flicker of hope in her heart. "So…there is a way. I don't care how dangerous it is. If there is a chance to save her, I will."  
  
"Hitomi!" Maria shook her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes. "If you use your powers to help her, you might get sucked in! Your soul would leave your body, and you'd lie dormant and powerless in Yarkari's body, just like her. Only a Spirit Healer has the strength to repel the forces of an evil spirit, and they're dying out. You can't do it! It's madness!"  
  
"Is it madness to help someone you love?" Hitomi's face was set with determination. "Hitomi, if you get caught, there'll be no one to save you. Do you understand what I'm saying? If you fail, both you and Yukari are lost."  
  
"You'll save me. After all, you're part Spirit Healer, aren't you?"  
  
"Hitomi!!! Never going to happen! Besides, when are you going to have a chance to see Dilandau?"  
  
"I…"  
  
There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Hitomi called. The door opened, and Mrs. Hateonly stood in front of them, scowling. Maria shot up from the bed, and muttering her excuses, fled to the bathrom to "dust the bathtub".  
  
"Yes?" Hitomi asked coolly, deliberately treating her like a servant. Hitomi could tell by the flush of Mrs. Hateonly's cheeks that she'd guessed what Hitomi was doing. "I've come to inform you that you will be having lunch with Lord Dilandau tommorrow. You wil be on your best behaviour. I want Lord Dilandau to have only good things to say about you. Is that clear?"  
  
Hitomi's heart skipped a beat. This was it. Tommorrow was her chance to save Yukari! They'd be able to go back to the Mystic Moon and pretend none of this had ever happened, just like she'd said she would. She could one again become a normal everyday teenager, with a normal, everyday life."I said, is that clear?" Mrs. Hateonly's nasty voice snapped Hitomi's thoughts. "Huh? Oh yes, that's fine. Best behaviour. Will do. You can go now," Hitomi said distractedly, sending her away with a wave of her hand. Mrs. Hateonly looked furious, but left without a word. "Maria!" Hitomi yelled, running to the bathroom and throwing the door open. Maria looked up from the floor, where she had been sitting. "Hitomi! Is she gone?"  
  
"Maria! Dilandau's coming to see me tommorrow! This is it! My chance to save Yukari!" Hitomi cried excitedly. This was a sign; Hitomi felt her heart dance with hope, and she was almost happy.  
  
Maria stood up with an expression of panic on her face. "Hitomi! Didn't you listen to a word I said before? You'll be killed! It's far too dangerous and if you fail, I won't be able to save you because I'm not strong enough!" Hitomi looked at her friend, worry stirring inside her. She put a hand on Maria's shoulder. "Don't worry, Maria. I won't fail. You won't have to be a hero, I promise."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Remember what I taught you," Mrs. Hateonly hissed, as she reached for the door knob. Hitomi could just make out Dilandau's figure behind the net curtains. Mrs. Hateonly opened the door and pushed her onto the balcony. She stepped reluctantly forward. Dilandau was leaning over the balcony, gazing at the large Ziabach town. "Beautiful place, isn't it?" He asked without looking at her. Hitomi frowned, slightly put off by the fact that he hadn't greeted her. "I prefer Fanelia," She said boldly. He laughed softly. "Well, you would," He straightened up, never taking his eyes off the view. "After all, home is where the heart is." He glanced at her quickly, and noticing the distance she was keeping, said: "Don't worry, I won't bite," He turned to face her and looked her up and down. He took in all the changes- how graceful she looked, how delicate her face was, and how the dress complimented her pretty green eyes. "Then again, maybe I will," He muttered. Hitomi scowled. "What do you want?" Hitomi asked rudely. "I take it you didn't come here just to ask me how I am." Dilandau looked at her, his eyebrows raised. His gaze made Hitomi nervous and she felt vunerable. She shifted her gaze and glanced at the Ziabach town. "You're right. That really is some view you got there," She walked past him and pretended to admire the town. He stood next to her, and for a few moments they said nothing. "You know, I'm not here to take you away. I came here to see how you were, as strange as that may seem."  
  
"Why? What's it to you?"  
  
Dilandau's flashing eyes fixed on hers, full of anger. Now! This was it! See past the face… Hitomi stared back, and imagined Yukari infront of her. Slowly, Yukari's face began to appear, hovering around Dilandau's face like fog. She could feel Yukari's presence. She reached out to her…  
  
Everything was dark. Hitomi was alone. She felt a surge of panic. Had Dilandau defeated her? Already?  
  
"Yukari!" She shouted. "Yukari! Where are you?"  
  
"Hitomi?…" A distant voice called out of the darkness. It sounded frail and weak. But it was Yukari. That's all that mattered. "Yukari!" Hitomi cried, searching in all directions for her best friend's face. "Yukari! Come to me!" Hitomi desperately searched for her friend's presence, but couldn't feel anything. "Yukari!… Yukari! Where are you? Tell me! Speak to me Yukari! I can find you…" Hitomi suddenly felt very alone. What if she were stuck here in this darkness forever?  
  
"Hitomi…I'm lost, I can't find my way…help me, Hitomi! Help!" Yukari's voice was scared and tearful. It hurt Hitomi's heart to hear it. "Yukari! You mustn't be afraid! Reach out to me…follow my voice…Yukari? Is that you?" Hitomi heard something coming towards her. "Yukari?" A face loomed into view. It was evil and full of hatered. Dilandau. He'd found her. Hitomi screamed.  
  
"Hitomi! Hitomi! What's happened?" Yukari shouted.  
  
"Stay back!" Hitomi screamed at Dilandau, but he kept on advancing, his blood coloured eyes lusting for death. "Clever little witch, aren't you?" He hissed. "Lets see just how clever you really are…" She felt his hands close around her neck. She froze, terror seizing her body. Her wide green eyes stared uo into his red ones, and what she saw in them was worse than the hands around her neck. She saw death and a terrible lust for it- not just to kill, but to die. Another emotion, one she couldn't name burned in his eyes along with the death. It was very different but at the same time was similar to his blood-lust. Some how, it made him look slightly more human. He was wild. 'He's insane,' She thought.  
  
She closed her eyes as the hands tightened. "Oh, Von," She whispered. Was she really going to die like this, alone, in the dark, slowly choking in the hands of a madman? No! She was going to live. She was going to survive. She wouldn't die like this. She refused.  
  
Hitomi brought her knee up in between his legs, loosening his grip enough for her to aim another kick at his stomach. This sent him reeling backwards, the wind forced out of him. Her arms might be weak, but her legs were strong and muscled from her running. She wanted to leave. She couldn't win this battle. Not yet, any way. She focused on leaving this terrible No Man's Land. She felt her self rise up back into consiousness… "Hitomi!" Yukari's voice called her though the haze of dreaming and awaking. Hitomi felt a tug of desperation. Shecouldn't leave Yukari behind, but she had to go. She had no choice. "Yukari! I'm sorry! Keep fighting!" Hitomi called. But it was to late. She was no longer in Yukari/ Dilandau's mind, but on the blacony, with an unconsciousness Dilandau. One thing was for sure- she didn't want to be there when he woke up.  
  
Sorry the chapter is short, I'll try and make the other chapters longer. I've got a case of 'Accute Writer's Blockitius' so I'm sorry if I take even longer putting the next chaper up.  
  
Bye! J.R 


	6. Just a Dream

Hi! Gets interesting (kinda) in this chappie for all you romantics out there! Just a little hint of what is, or might, happen…Please review some more, I love reading your comments. It gives me the inscentive to write. This time I waited for a few of you to review chapter 5 before starting this one.  
  
See you all soon in the review pages! (I hope)  
  
From,  
  
The Very Evil Daughter of Lord Voldemort, Juliet Riddle.  
  
  
  
1 Chapter 6- Just a Dream.  
  
Hitomi stood up, using the balcony fence to help her. "Oh…" She groaned. Her head ached and she was tired. Mental battles used more strength than physical ones. She gazed at Dilandau's unconscious face. Funny. He looked gentle and innocent in his sleep, like a totally different person. Hitomi knelt down and gently brushed away several strands of silvery hair away from his face. Was he actually a person, or an evil spirit? He looked like a person. And he had emotions. Was that enough to make someone human? Hitomi wondered. 'No. To be human, you must know how to love. Dilandau doesn't know how.' She thought decidedly. She stood up, trying to summon the hate she had for him. But none came. It was so hard to hate that face, so handsome and sweet, almost vunerable. But she knew, all that was fake. He was violent, cruel and evil. His eyes were two rivers of blood that he had spilt, hidden by the soft skin of his eyelids, windows to his soul, which was just as blood-thirsty. But it was so easy to forget, as he lay there, completely defenceless…  
  
She got up. No. This was wrong. She must never think of him as sweet or innocent or handsome ever again. He was evil, and nothing could ever change that.  
  
"Maria!" Hitomi called. Maria came out. "Yes, Miss?…" She gasped, her gaze lowering to Dilandau's body. "Hitomi! You didn't…he isn't….You've killed him!"  
  
"No, no, Maria, he's unconscious. It didn't work. Now help me! I've got to make him believe just now never happened…help me get him to my bed, we can pretend he fainted, then I called you for help and there we go. He'll think it was all just a dream." Hitomi took hold of his legs. "Grab his arms!" Maria hurried forward and did as she was told. " He's heavy!" She gasped. "Tell me about it!" Hitomi gasped back, as they half-carried, half-dragged him to Hitomi's room. "Okay, on three," Hitomi said. "One…" They swang him gently. "Two…" The swings got bigger. "Three!" They swang him towards the bed and let go of him. There was a small thud as he landed onto the bed. Hitomi saw a flicker of discomfort cross his face. "Quick, he's waking up!" She hissed. She quickly removed his shoes, while Maria removed his coat. " Put a blanket or something on him," Hitomi whispered. She went to the window and closed the curtains. Maria whipped the blanket from under Dilandau, and tucked it around him. "Good. Thanks Maria. Go and get a Healer now please. If we don't send for one, it won't make our story believable."  
  
"Yes, Miss." Maria hurried out of the room. Hitomi went into her bathroom, and got a flannel. She put it under cold water and then, very carefully, placed it gently on Dilandau's forehead. There. Perfect. They'd be sure to believe her. She dragged a chair towards her bed so that she could watch him wake up. He groaned. His eyes screwed up and he stirred his head fretfully. "Dilandau?" She said gently. "How are you feeling?" She was surprised to realize she actually cared. He opened his eyes and Hitomi was reminded what he was. All feelings of concern disappeared. His eyes glimmering with a thirst for blood, and his usual scowl shouted out his hate at the world. "Where am I?" He asked, sounding quite cross. "It's okay, Dilandau, you're in Ziabach." He turned his head towards her. "Ugh," He gave a snort of disgust. "It's you."  
  
He struggled to sit up. He took the cold flannel and turned it over in his hand. "What is this?" He demanded angrily. "First you try to destroy me and now you're wiping my brow?!"  
  
"What are you talking about, Lord Dilandau? I've never tried to kill you. Ever." Hitomi made her voice sound confused. She hoped she wouldn't mess up and give herself away.  
  
"What do you mean you didn't try to kill me? You tried to cast me out, you attacked me from in here," He pointed to his head.  
  
"No, Lord Dilandau. It wasn't real. You fainted, so I asked Maria- that's my maid- to help me bring you back here. She's gone to get a Healer. Whatever you saw, it didn't really happen. It was just a dream." Hitomi prayed he'd buy it. Dilandau frowned.  
  
"Just a dream?"  
  
"Yes, Lord Dilandau."  
  
Dilandau face relaxed fractionally, but he didn't lie back down. Hitomi breathed a sigh of relif. He believed her. All she had to do now was get stronger, so that next time, she wouldn't fail.  
  
"Lord Dilandau," She said timidly, "Souldn't you rest some more? At least untill a Healer has checked you over."  
  
"I don't need a Healer. I feel fine." He replied stubbornly, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked like a spoilt child. Hitomi was surprised to find that he reminded her of Van. He glanced at her sideways. "What do you care, anyway? The only reason you're here is for your precious Yukari," He said, somewhat bitterly. Hitomi stared at him, surprised. "Yes, that's right," She said braveley. "I couldn't care less about you. In fact, if you died, I'd laugh." It was a lie, and a foolish one at that. Did she have a death wish or something?! Throwing herself off the edge of a cliff would have had much the same effect. Hitomi waited for a fist to come flying at her, but none came. She looked at Dilandau expectantly. She was surprised to see he looked sad. "Noone cares about me," He said softly. He turned to face her. This time, she wasn't afraid of those eyes, that seemed to have lost their evil glimmer. She was shocked to find that she left sorry for this monster, who had no one. "I'm all alone," Dilandau whispered. He buried his head in his knees. "I'm all alone…" He moaned. Hitomi felt a jolt of panic. What if he completely lost it? He could kill her. She put a hand on his shoulder. She tried to make her voice sound comforting and confident. It wasn't easy. "No, you're not, Dilandau. I'm here. I'm right here beside you. You're not alone." Why was the Healer taking so long? He muttered something that sounded liked Jacka, or Jackoua, Hitomi wasn't sure which. "Come on, Dilandau, it's not that bad."  
  
'For one, you've got Yukari for company,' She thought bitterly. He looked up, even more insane than usual. "Do you know what it's like, to be all alone?" His voice was gentle, melancholic. Then it suddenly changed- his voice was filled with disgust. "You have no idea, do you? You've never had a second of you're life without your wonderful little Mummy and Daddy beside you. And your Yukari and your Van. You're pathetic."  
  
"In case you hadn't noticed, my parents are on the Mystic Moon, Yukari is under your control and Van is getting married. Or is, by now. I'm alone." Dilandau looked at her, his face intense. "Like me," He said.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Hitomi…" He lifted her chin, and stared lovingly into her eyes. Hitomi smiled, warmth and happiness flowing through her at his touch. She moved closer to him, wanting to smell his hair, touch his skin. "I love you," She murmured, entwining her hands aroung his fingers. He smiled, and brushed his lips against hers. "I love you too," He whispered back. She leant her head on his shoulder. He held her, gently nuzzling her neck. There was an overwhelming sence of peace and love.  
  
"Oh, Dilandau…" She breathed.  
  
Huh? Dilandau? Hitomi sat up in bed, confused. 'I fell in love with Dilandau?! He loved me, I wanted him…' Ugh. She shuddered. "Thank God it was a dream." She said aloud. "Just a dream." She leaned back on her pillows and went back to sleep.  
  
  
  
I hope this chapter was interesting! (It was, wasn't it?) School Exams in a week, plus the Sats, so wish me luck and encouragement to revise everyone!  
  
Bye! Love From, J.R 


	7. Not so differant?

Hi! Sorry this chapter has taken about 3 weeks to write, but I've had writer's block (and exams).  
  
Love J.R  
  
1 Chapter 7- Not so different…?  
  
2 Chid sighed, his face far too fretful and care-worn for a child his age. "And what proof do you have of this supposed rebellion in Ziabach?" He asked the messenger kneeling before him. "None, your majesty. Just rumours. But The Royal Circle of Seers and Spirit Healers have sent warnings of trouble in Ziabach. Several of them have had visions."  
  
"Thank you. Summon Lady Tollarna of The Royal Circle. I wish to speak to her of this matter."  
  
"As you wish, Your Majesty." The messenger left, careful not to show any disrespect.  
  
When Hitomi had returned to her homeland, Chid had devoted alot of his time into looking for people with similar powers. He now had a small group of accomplished Seers and Spirit Healers at his disposal. They'd proved invaluable in the ruling of his country, and so far, had never predicted anything false.  
  
"Greetings, Your Majesty. You wanted to see me?" Lady Tollarna strode into the room, and curtsied. Lady Tollarna was the leader of The Royal Circle, part Spirit Healer, part Seer, though she was barely out of teenagehood.  
  
"Lady Tollarna, please inform me about the visions certain members of The Royal Circle have had."  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Lady Tollarna gracefully knelt before him. "Several of the Circle have had visions of a Ziabach rebellion, and Ziabach guymelefs flying through the air…some of them have also had visions of something attacking Freid and Fanelia- something invisible, and big. Like a giant…" Chid felt his heart skip a beat. Was Fanelia and Fried doomed to burn once again? The invisible giants…isn't that how Hitomi had described the Ziabach guymelefs? Chid felt fear and panic tighten his chest. No. Not again, never again. He'd die before he'd have to watch his country burn again, his people killed or in exile…  
  
"Guard!" The guard jumped to attention. "Send a message to the General. I want him to organize a search- every house, pub, and shop is to be searched for signs of a rebellion. Any Ziabach guymelefs or Ziabach equipment found are to be destroyed at once. The owners are to be brought back here. Is that understood?"  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard left almost at a run; this was extremely important news.  
  
"You are afraid," Lady Tollarna commented. Her velvety, melodious voice seemed to fill the room, though she spoke quietly. She sounded strong and certain, but not overly-confident. She spoke as though she were stating a mere fact. And she was.  
  
"This brings back memories, Lady Tollarna. Memories of the Destiny War and my father…yes, I am afraid. Afraid that the same thing will happen again." He looked into her beautiful eyes, that were wise and innocent at the same time. "I can't let the same thing happen again, Lady Tollarna. You know I can't." Lady Tollarna stared back into his crystal blue eyes, and knew that he'd do anything for his country- even kill.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Maria! What's going on outside?" Hitomi called from the lounge. Maria hurried into the room from the balcony. She looked pale and had a worried expression. "Maria! What's wrong?" Hitomi peered at her friend in concern. "Oh Miss, the Fried soldiers are at the door and they say thay have the permission from King Chid to search the house! If Dilandau is found, he'll be killed! And most probably so will we!"  
  
Hitomi gasped, panic rising to her throat. The irony of it all! Forced to join the ememy to save your friend, only to be killed by your other friends for being with the ememy. 'Doesn't anything ever go right?' Hitomi thought, despairingly. "Hitomi!" Maria shook her out of her thoughts. "What do we do? I'm scared!" They looked at each other desperately. Suddenly, an idea hit Hitomi. "Maria, do I look like a respectable gentle woman?" Maria nodded. "Good."  
  
Hitomi rushed downstairs to the hall, where the head butler, Mrs. Hateonly and Dilandau were talking together, their worry evident on their faces. "Don't worry everyone, I have an idea. Now go!" Hitomi pushed passed them, and ignored the surprised looks from the trio. She carefully approched the front door, where Freid soldiers were waiting. She kept the chain on the door, and opened it a fraction. "Greetings to you, noble soldiers of Freid." She said politely. "On what business do you come?"  
  
"Milady, I have permission from His Royal Highness King Chid of Freid to search this house. Could you kindly step aside."  
  
Hitomi didn't have to force the worried look on her face. "Forgive me, sir, for I cannot let you pass the threshold of this house. This house has been infected with an illness, which is highly contagious. We are in quarantine."  
  
Some of the soldiers blanched quite visibly, and Hitomi dectected a slight loss of confidence from the commander's face.  
  
"Do you have a written statement from a Healer?"  
  
"Spirit Healer. The desease attacks the mind and soul. She is here with us," The commander took a step back at her words. Soldiers were used to dealing with physical pain, but illnesses that attacked your soul, your sanity, were rare and terrible. They were much worse than a cut or a punch, and if there was anything that a soldier feared, it was that.  
  
"Do you wish to speak to her? She may be quite some time as she's treating the sick."  
  
"No, no," The commander shook his head. It was evident that he wished to leave at once. "The sick need her more than I do. Do you know when the house will be safe again?"  
  
Hitomi sighed. "It's difficult to tell. If no one else catches it, about 14 days. Maybe more, depending on how weak the patients are. I'm very sorry you came all this way for nothing. Maybe you would like to stay for a while in Ziabach? It is a lovely country, almost as pretty as Fried."  
  
The soldiers looked slightly surprised. Hitomi knew that asking them to stay was the least thing they expected, and a little flattery would help as well.  
  
"There is an inn not far from here," She continued. "That way, you may search the house as soon as it is safe, and if there are any more outbreaks of the disease, you may help quarantine the area."  
  
"Um, no, we have business elsewhere…thank you. We'll alert the authorities so they'll be on their guard for any more outbreaks."  
  
Hitomi smilied gratefully. "Thank you." She said warmly. "It's hard you know, not being able to go out, or even being able to warn anyone…it's lucky Maria - our Spirit Healer - lives here, otherwise it would just be the housekeeper and me."  
  
The commander smiled at her. "It must be very hard for you milady. Good luck to you, and I regret to say, goodbye." He bowed.  
  
Hitomi smiled, and bobbed a quick curtsey, though he probably couldn't see it through the small crack in the door.  
  
"Farewell noble soldier of Fried." Hitomi closed the door.  
  
The commander stood a second, and then turned round to go. "Let's move, men!" He strode towards their horses, and began to mount. The other soldiers quickly followed. Only two of them dawdled behind. "Poor girl. All she wants is someone to talk to. She's so nice, she doesn't deserve this." Said the dark-haired one. His friend nodded in agreement.  
  
Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief. "They've gone." She said to the stunned butler, Dilandau and Witch.  
  
"But…how?" Mrs. Hateonly asked, dumbstruck. "I'd have never have thought…you're too good…" Hitomi walked past her. "Oh, a pretty face and a few kind words always do the trick," Hitomi said breezily, forcing herself not to laugh at Mrs. Hateonly's expression of utter shock. She quickly climbed up the stairs, anxious to tell Maria what had just happened. Hitomi arrived to the now familiar door that led to her quarters. She reached out for the handle…  
  
"Hitomi! Wait!" She turned round to see Dilandau running towards her. "Dilandau! What is it?…I mean Lord Dilandau." Hitomi added hastily. Remembering her dream, she felt uncomfortable. She hoped Dilandau wouldn't see it.  
  
"You put on quite a show back there. I didn't think you had it in you…I never knew you were that sort of person."  
  
Hitomi felt indignation flare up inside her. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I mean I didn't think you were a liar, but you are. You're like us." He smirked. "Maybe we're not so different after all."  
  
He pulled her towards him. "No…" Hitomi murmured. "This is wrong…" He kissed her lightly on the lips before she could say anything else. A deep feeling of love and want stirred inside her. She let him hold her, mesmerized by his touch. Hitomi struggled to think straight as she pushed him away, trying to ignore her feelings. "No." She said, stronger this time. "This is all wrong. I'm not like you, I could never be."  
  
He smiled. "But you are like me. We're not so different…" He reached out to her, but she backed away, his words chilling her heart. "No. NO. I'm not like you, I can't be one of you…I have a soul! I'm not evil!" Dilandau smiled. "So do I," He said softly. Hitomi shook her head. "You're a murderer." Hitomi accused. Her voice was hard and cold.  
  
"So is Von."  
  
"No!" Von wasn't like that. She knew he wasn't. "That's different…"  
  
Dilandau smirked. "Is it? Is it really? Just accept it Hitomi, because there's nothing you can do. You're one of us now."  
  
3 "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
Hitomi sat up in bed, sobbing. No! She wasn't like them, she didn't kill people and she didn't lie…or did she?  
  
Hitomi hovered in the doorway. "Lord Dilandau?" She asked timidly. Dilandau was at his desk, pouring over a map. He looked up, slightl;y irrated. "Yes, what is it?" Hitomi edged further into the room. "Um…about yesterday…"  
  
"Here, have a seat. But make it quick and worth my while."  
  
Hitomi sat down nervously. Dilandau studied her face intently. Why was she so uneasy?  
  
"This isn't important as such, but I just wanted to ask you, do you really think I'm not a good person?" Dilandau looked slightly surprised, but said nothing, and continued to stare at her, deep in thought. Hitomi blushed. She felt stupid. Why couldn't she have just kept her big mouth shut? Besides, what was it to her what the bloody-thirsty monster thought of her anyway?  
  
"I never said you weren't a good person, Hitomi. I just think you're not as innocent as you used to be, which is a good thing. Innocence makes you vulnerable." He went back to his map. 'Wow. He actually talked to me like a human being, for once.' Hitomi thought, watching him, as he muttered over the map and drew pencil lines and crosses on it. She suddenly realized it was a map of Fanelia. Her heart skipped a beat. No…he was planning something… 'Oh please don't let it be bad,' Hitomi prayed. "Ah, Dilandau," Hitomi tried to sound casual, but her voice was strained. "Why have you got a map of Fanelia?" He looked up quickly. "None of your buisness," He said. "Oh." She'd been stupid to think he'd tell her. It was a miracle he'd put up with her company for this long…what had it been so far, ten minutes? A record. He hadn't even shouted at her yet.  
  
"Dilandau, why do you always work?"  
  
"Huh?" Dilandau glared at her before carefully adding a series of circles and dots to the map. "I've never seen you take a time out before," Hitomi explained. "Don't you ever go on holiday?" Dilandau looked at her, his scowl firmly fixed on his face. "Why?" He asked scornfully. "Well…to have fun. And to have a rest."  
  
"I have fun when I kill and I rest when I sleep. Now if you're not going to leave me alone, I'm afraid I might have to have fun." Huh….? Oh. He meant if she didn't stop distracting him, he'd kill her. "Charming," Hitomi muttered. "Have a good day Dilandau," She got up and left. Nothing like a death threat to send the unwanted backwhere they came from.  
  
As Hitomi made her way to her quarters, her mind wandered back to the map on Dilandau's desk. Dilandau was going to destroy Fanelia, she was sure of it. She hated Van, but she still loved Fanelia. 'Dilandau could eat him alive for all I care.' Hitomi thought furiously, ignoring the tears that came to her eyes every time she thought of him. 'Von's a selfish, rude, violent idiot. Good riddance if he dies! But Fanelia…'  
  
Hitomi knew that the decision was made. She would find out what he was planning. No matter what.  
  
Lady Tollarna closed her eyes and concentrated. Come on…yes! There it was again, that mysterious power radiating from Ziabach. A power unknown, in the time of a rumoured rebellion. She knew she had to treat this as a threat. 'Please, let me see it…' She willed to see more, to see who was the owner of this power. Suddenly, a girl appeared in her mind's eye. She had short, brow hair that reflected the sunlight and a delicate, laughing face full of happiness. But it was her eyes that intrigued Lady Tollarna the most. Her eyes, light green like the blades of young grass, were innocent, and sweet, but also wise, with just the slightest hint of the power and strength that this strange, beautiful girl possessed. 'Odd,' Lady Tollarna thought. She could see the girl, kind and gentle, so full of love, but she was Freid's enemy…why? Very gently, she tried to push just a little further into the mind of the young girl…  
  
Hitomi gave a start. What was happening? She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Something was intruding, slipping through the barrier separating every mind and soul, and seeping into her …no! She had to fight it, this horrible tresspassing thing… "Don't panic, don't panic," Hitomi whispered. She could do this. She wouldn't fail. She couldn't. Hitomi closed her eyes and concentrated. She surrounded the intruder will her power so that it could go no deeper into her mind, and pushed the thing away. The thing was surprised, which Hitomi used to her advantage. She charged once again, this time pushing the thing completely out of her head. It was gone. "Oh my God!" She breathed, on the verge of tears. Slowly, she sank to the ground. She was tired and had a headache, and she was badly shaken. Something knew about her. Terrible thoughts of witches and harpies swam around her head. A stab of fear piecered her stomach. "Maria!" She screamed. "Maria!…"  
  
Lady Tollarna fell to the floor, gasping. "Hitomi…" She whispered. Through the haze of intense pain and exhaustion, she held on to that one word. Hitomi.  
  
"Enemy of Freid. You will pay."  
  
"Are you sure you're alright now?" Maria asked. Hitomi, who was lying in her bed, nodded. "I'm just a bit shocked, that's all. I've never suffered a mind attack before." She said weakly. "Well, now you have. And you'll be all the more stronger for it." Maria gently stroked Hitomi's hair, wandering what to do to soothe her friend's aching head. "Maria, someone knows about me. They know who I am. What if they come back?" Hitomi's voice cracked. "They won't," Maria told her friend gently, but with the upmost conviction. "They were looking for something. And as long has they haven't found it, you're"-  
  
"Unsafe," Hitomi finished for her. "But then, if they do, I'm still in danger."  
  
"You should tell Dilandau, Hitomi. This is important." Hitomi nodded and Maria got up. "I've got some chores to do. Get some rest, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, okay," Hitomi muttered, closing her eyes. Maria smiled and left the room.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Hitomi opened her eyes. She wasn't tired anymore, and her headache was gone. Better still, it was night. She smiled secretly to herself and slipped out of bed, not bothering to put on her slippers or dressing gown. If anyone found her she could pretend to be sleep walking.  
  
She stopped at the top of the stairs. Had anyone heard her? Hitomi stood still for a moment, waiting to hear footsteps or someone's voice. Nothing. Very carefully, Hitomi desended the stairs, extremely grateful that there were no creaky steps. Now, where had Dilandau's quarters been? It took her several minutes to find it. Very gently, she turned the handle. Not locked. Good. She pushed the door open. She could just make out Dilandau's desk, with the maps and battle plans still on it. She sat herself down in his chair, and lit the candle chandelier that was also on the desk. A soft, flickering light spread out on the desk. Very carefullly, she shuffled through the papers. Hitomi frowned, confused. This couldn't be right. This was a map of Ziabach. She looked at the next one. Gaea. The next one was the Mystic Moon, then after that, Japan. They had no pencil lines on them the the rest was just blank paper.  
  
Hitomi's heart sank. Where was the rest? Carefully, she opened a chest of drawers near by. It made slightly more sound that she would have liked. Oh well. Everyone was upstairs. No one would hear her here.  
  
She gave a sigh of disappointment. Just a collection of daggers. The next two drawers contained blank paper, pencil and maps with no Dilandau doodles on them, so they weren't at all helpful. Hitomi then moved to a cupboard, and when she was about to open it, she noticed a door. Her heart froze. What if this door lead to Dilandau's lounge? Or worse, his bedroom? 'I thought everyone slept upstairs!' Hitomi thought, torn between anger and fear.  
  
She should have known. He wanted to know everything that happened, and what everyone did he'd make it his business. Pathetic.  
  
Hitomi opened the cupboard. Bingo! Finally, piles and piles of maps and battle plans! It would take all night to get through this. But if it saved Fanelia, Hitomi didn't mind. She reached out towards the battle plans….  
  
Hitomi heard the sound of a door being thrown open. "Oof!" Hitomi was pushed roughly to the floor, the air knocked out of her. She screwed her face up in pain. Something heavy was on top of her, and she'd hit her head hard when she'd fallen. She forced her eyes open. She could just make out the furious face of Dilandau. 'Oh no…' Somehow, deep inside her, Hitomi knew that she was going to die. He was going to kill her.  
  
So, what do you think? I am sooooooo sorry about how long this chapter has taken. I'll try and make sure it won't happen again, but no promises! I've already started chapter eight, so it shouldn't be to long. I'll put it up when about seven people have reviewed so I know what I should improve and what I should keep doing. Also, I love reading your comments! (  
  
Hugs and Kisses,  
  
From The Very Evil Daughter Of Lord Voldemort, Juliet Riddle 


	8. Tomorrow

Hi you guys, hope you like it!  
  
Chapter Eight- Tomorrow  
  
A lot can happen in one day, and you never know what for sure. Even with Hitomi's powers. This chapter is about how today can change tomorrow…  
  
  
  
She whimpered and tried to move her head. "Dilandau…"  
  
"Shut up! I should kill you right now, you traitor, lying, cheating b-"  
  
"Dilandau! It wasn't like that!" He was still on top of her. "I…I was just curious."  
  
"Just curious? Just curious? What do you take me for?!"  
  
"I just wanted to know what you were planning to do to Fanelia. I mean, it did used to be my home, so I wanted to know…" Her heart thudded so hard against her chest she thought it would explode. "I have a right to know, Dilandau." Hitomi was pleased to hear her voice sounded strong and unafraid.  
  
"No, you don't! What I do is none of your buisness!" He leant over her, his face contorted in fury. His touch was making her feel funny. "I'm sorry, Dilandau." Hitomi said quietly. His face relaxed slightly. But only slightly. "Never do anything like that again," He said in a low voice. "Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, I do." He lifted his head, a smile playing on his lips. "You know, that's the kind of stunt I'd pull." He got off her, but stayed on the floor. Hitomi sat up and rested her head on her kness. "Dilandau, don't you ever feel lonely?" Hitomi asked gently. Dilandau drew back, startled. "What?!"  
  
"You heard."  
  
"Sometimes." He said uneasily. "I do too. I didn't used to. But now everything's changed…"  
  
Dilandau smiled at her. His face was one of true compassion. For the moment, he was sane. She turned her face towards him, and they stared at each other. She gazed at his handsome, youthful face, and his gentle, almost amber eyes. "Hitomi…" Dilandau edged closer to her. She felt emotion stirring inside her. For the first time, she forgot to feel wary towards Dilandau. They were almost touching. He made the first move.  
  
Dilandau ran his fingers through her clean, silky hair, and pulled her towards him. The emotions inside her grew stronger. What about Van? "No…" Hitomi murmured. "This is wrong…" He kissed her lightly on the lips before she could say anything else. A deep feeling of love and want stirred inside her. She let him hold her, mesmerized by his touch. Hitomi struggled to think straight as she pushed him away, trying to ignore her feelings. "No." She said, stronger this time. "This is all wrong. I'm not like you, I could never be."  
  
He smiled. "But you are like me. We're not so different…" He reached out to her, but Hitomi stood up and backed away. His words chilled her heart. "No. NO. I'm not like you, I can't be one of you…I have a soul! I'm not evil!" Dilandau smiled. "So do I," He said softly, standing up as well. Hitomi shook her head.  
  
"You're a murderer," She accused. Her voice was hard and cold.  
  
"So is Van."  
  
"No!" Van wasn't like that. She knew he wasn't. "That's different…" Dilandau smirked. "Is it? Is it really? Just accept it Hitomi, because there's nothing you can do. You're one of us now."  
  
Hitomi gasped, completely horrified, her own fears put to light. She took a step back. "No!" She whimpered. She turned round and raced back to her room. "Hitomi, wait!" Dilandau called after her. She ignored him.  
  
It was only afterwards that she realized that what she'd dreamt had come true.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Your Majesty, King Chid, I have news." Lady Tollarna knelt to the floor. "What is it?" Lady Tollarna's grave face was worrying. What had she seen? Was something terrible about to happen to Freid?  
  
"I have discovered an enemy in Ziabach. A young girl with powers that rival those of the whole circle put together- she is a very serious threat to us."  
  
Chid sat up, alarmed. "Who does she work for?"  
  
"I am not sure, your Majesty, but I think it is the supposed rebel army rumoured to be forming in Ziabach."  
  
"How is that possible? My soldiers searched everything- no signs of rebellion were found." Chid's voice and whole attitude was tense and worried.  
  
"I don't know, Sir. But I propose that she be taken care of at once. She is too dangerous to be ignored."  
  
"In what way?"  
  
"It would be best if…" Lady Tollarna hesitated. "It would be best if she were killed." She concluded firmly. Chid was shocked. He'd never ordered someone to be killed before. In this time of peace, it didn't seem right. "What is her name?" He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.  
  
"Hitomi."  
  
Chid gasped. "HITOMI?!"  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty. A girl of about sixteen, with brown hair that reaches her jaw, and light green eyes. She seems quite innocent."  
  
Chid bit his lip. "Maybe she's being misled." He said worriedly. "Maybe she's been kidnapped…A messenger please!"  
  
A young man entered the room. "At your service, Your Majesty."  
  
"Send a message to Van Fanel, King of all Fanelia to come here at once concerning a matter of upmost importance. Ask Allen Shazar to come as well. Understood?"  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Then leave at once."  
  
The messenger left. For a few seconds Chid stared after him, willing him to hurry. "Your Majesty, Lady Hitomi is our enemy. She is with the army by will, not by force."  
  
"How do you know?" Chid challenged. "If Hitomi is using her powers against us, then yes she is our enemy, but not by choice. We have to rescue her. Lady Tollarana, Hitomi Kanzaki is a good person. She played a great part in The Destiny War and she has been a very loyal friend to me."  
  
"Your Majesty, I doubt not that, but she is still dangerous. Something must be done immediatley. Not kill her, of course. But…stop her."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Together, The Circle may have enough power to perform a spell that will take away the girl's power, at least for a while, untill we can determine wether or not she can be trusted."  
  
"Of course she can be trusted. She is one of my closest friends." Lady Tollarna frowned. She was not convinced. "But Sir…if you are right, and she is being held captive, then she might be forced to use her powers for evil. As a safety precaution, I must insist that she have her powers taken away. For the good of the country."  
  
Chid frowned. "But after she is brought here, she will have her powers returned to her."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Chid sighed, and lowered his head, sadness and guilt at his betrayal tormenting him. "You have my permission," He said, in a low voice. Lady Tolarna nodded, smiling triumphantly. "You've done the right thing, Your Majesty."  
  
Chid looked up at her. "I hope so."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
They all sat in a circle, staring at Lady Tollarna expectantly. She took a deep breath and began. "My fellow Seers and Spirit Healers, I have called you to this meeting today to discuss the extremely important events that have been happening in Ziabach. As you all know, there is a rebel army hiding somewhere in the capital, and though King Chid organized a thorough search throughout the whole city, no signs of rebellion were discovered. Yet we all know the rebel army exists. And a few days ago, I received very powerful vibes in the city's direction." She paused, and gazed at the others, all of them listening intently. "Close your eyes and concerntrate." They did as they instructed, and Lady Tollarna followed them. Gasps sounded around the room. "There," Lady Tollarna breathed. "Do you feel it?"  
  
"It's so strong!" A young man in the circle exclaimed. "It's beautiful," A small girl said. Her name was Asharmi, and she was the youngest in The Circle- just nine years old.  
  
"I believe this is the reason why nothing was found- a strong magic is protecting the army. You may open your eyes now. It is too dangerous to venture any further." Slowly, they rose out of their trance, and glanced at each other, checking everyone was okay. "I identified this power to belong to a sixteen year old girl called Hitomi. She is a friend of King Chid. He believes that she is being held captive in Ziabach, where the rebel army are forcing her to use her powers to help them. He is making immediate plans to rescue her. In the mean time, we must make sure she doesn't use anymore of her magic."  
  
"How can we do that?" Asharmi asked. "You won't be participating, Asharmi. You're too young and your powers aren't strong enough yet." Asharmi looked disappointed and opened her mouth to protest, but Lady Tollarna carried on before she had a chance to say anything. "But for the rest of you, we will be performing a spell that will remove her magic, until she is brought here where by the order of King Chid, her magic must be returned to her. We will meet here again tomorrow to perform the spell. With the exception of Asharmi." Asharmi scowled. 'I never get to do anything! It's so unfair, I could do a spell just as well as anyone else.' She thought angrily. "I'll show them," She muttered. Lady Tollarna stood up, signalling the meeting was over.  
  
"Remember, it's going to happen tomorrow."  
  
  
  
Hitomi brushed through Maria's long dark hair, laughing at something Maria just said. "I'm going to try it again, tomorrow," She said, becoming serious again. "Try what?" Maria asked, inspecting her hands and finger nails. Hateonly hated mess and dirt more than anything else, and she made sure that if Maria wasn't spotless, she'd be punished.  
  
"Duh! Try to save Yukari, remember?" Maria stiffened. "Hitomi…" She said in a warning voice. "What? I have to get rid of him, for Yukari. And because, because…" Her voice trailed off, thinking about the other night. She hadn't told Maria. She was too ashamed. Luckily, she hadn't seen Dilandau since that night. He was keeping his distance. "I'm going to save Yukari, Maria. It's my duty as her best friend and a Seer."  
  
"Am I not a good enough reason to stay? Am I not your best friend?…" Maria whispered, too quiet for Hitomi to hear. Hitomi smiled confidently. "At last, this mess will all be sorted out by tomorrow." She started to plait Maria's hair. "It's going to happen. Tomorrow."  
  
I know, your thinking: "So what? None of this is really important, what was all that blurb at the beginning about tomorrow?!" Well, maybe if I tell you the name of chapter nine, it will make a little bit more sence-  
  
Chapter nine- Asharmi's Spell  
  
Thank you to…  
  
Missssss: Don't worry, Hitomi is NOT in love with Dilly!  
  
Dragon Fairy: Thanks, I love writing cliffhangers (but I hate reading them when there's no next chapter in sight!)  
  
Kiya: No, it's no a d/h! never!!!… Well, only a little bit, for like, one chapter. Dilly scares me, too! But he has to stay in the story, I have plans for him…heh heh….  
  
Kat: Awwww, thank you! Nothing like an ego boost to cheer me up! (  
  
Thundersenshi17: Send you the e mail you asked for, and yep, Hitomi/Dilly never gonna happen…at least, I hope not…  
  
Empress Yue: Take deep brathes. Calm down. You're safe as long as you're on the Mystic Moon. Oh wait, Dilly can come there to… looks panicky* okay, you can scream!  
  
Sorry this chapter is short, and has taken a long time, I've been in Germany. Ich spreken nicht Deusch! I think that means: "I don't speak German." I'll put ch. nine when five-six peeps r&r.  
  
Love you all, From The Very Evil Daughter of Lord Voldemort, Juliet Riddle  
  
P.s Wow! I think this is the longest A/N I've ever written! 


	9. Dilandau Discovered

This chapter is dedicated to all those who have ever reviewed my story: Sereneblaze Missss Dragon Fairy Kiya Kat Thundersenshi17 Empress Yue Esca Chick Jenny-fer AND Kirsten Smith (ur a meanie, but I love ya anyway!) Fitz20 ZEmpress Magicman Vanessa St. Cloud Icerosemelidy82 Angel of Light Kara  
  
Thank you everyone, you're the best, and I'm very sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I love you all! Very Evil (well, not so much at the mo!) Daughter of Lord Voldemort, Juliet Riddle.  
  
Chapter Nine- Dilandau Discovered  
  
It was late, and the only light left in King Chid's palace was a small candle, burning brightly, barely enough to make out Lady Tollarna sitting near it. They were in the Royal Library and Lady Tollarna had on the table in front of her a large, leather bound book. Only she and the King were allowed access to this book- The Scared Book of Spells. She wanted to be ready for the ritual tomorrow. It was her duty as the leader of the Circle. She slowly turned the thick, yellowed pages until she reached what she was looking for. She began to read. "The releasement of power, the ritual of the Gods, is dangerous and powerful. Beware stranger, use not this power, this cursed power of Atlantis." Lady Tollarna was not fazed. She had confidence in herself and the other members. "Do not desobey. If you do, then you have fogotten. And those who forget the harsh lessons of history will one day be forced to relive it." Lady Tollarna sighed. The ancients had always worried and fretted, warning and predicting of the terrible things to come. Such warnings just annoyed her. She quickly skimed over the page and found the spell. "To strip a God, person or demon of their powers, first of all, the door to their power must be opened. To open a door you need a key. The key is a feather of one cursed by the Gods, springled with the blood of an innocent." Lady Tollarna stopped for a second. Where on Gaea would she be able to find the feather of a draconian? "Place the key in a bowl under a fire. As the blood boils, reach to the object of your spell and wait for the blood to evaporate. Once there is not blood left, the door will be open. Place a royal chest of Freid in front of you. "You must then recite: 'Release this being not of their spirit, and not of their history. Release them of power, let them no longer weild the magic of the land. Oh Atlantis, my gift to you, accept, the blood of that you are not.' Lady Tollarna sighed. She was getting tried. None the less, she must be knowledable of this ritual by tommorrow. "The power will then seep into the chest. The chest must be closed at once with the ancient Atlantian words: 'Fermo la porte der povoir,' The door to the victim's power, the passage to their soul must then be closed, for it may easily become invaded by Our Cursed Power, and their will no longer be their own. To do this, throw the feather into the fire. Once the ritual is over, the only way to return the power is to have the chest smashed, and to draw the blood of the victim with a piece of it. May the Gods favor you, stranger, for you who will perform this ritual, you are damned." Lady Tollarna stood up. She carefully picked up the book. It would stay in the Royal Circle's meeting room until the ritual.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Hitomi's footsteps echoed down the hall. No one was around, which was perfect for what she wanted to do. She stopped at Dilandaus door. It was closed, but Hitomi could just make out the sound of voices. She crouched down and pressed her ear to the lock. ".I'm certain. My sources inform me that Van Fanel is indeed coming to Ziabach." Hitomi felt an equal amount of joy and sadness at Dilandau's words. "Do you have Lady Hitomi?" An older man had spoken. "Yes," Dilandau answered. "And what fine bait she is." Hitomi pressed her hand to her mouth in horror. So! That was why she was here! The Lady Lessons had just been an excuse. "And is my daughter having the desired effect on her husband?" "Certainly, Your Majesty," Suddenly Hitomi knew who the man was. She felt sick with horror. Von had fallen in love with the daughter of his enemy! "He worries for his love, Lady Hitomi- his mind isn't on battle." The man - the King of Paymere- commented. Dilandau sighed happily. "What pleasure I'll have when I kill him." Hitomi's mind was a whirlpool of surprise and confusion, danger to Van making her half-mad with fear. She vaguely heard them exchange formal goodbyes and the King exit through one of the many secret passages in the house, but Dilandau's footsteps towards the door only registered until it was too late- Bam! The force of the door sent her sprawling across the cold, marble floor, and for a few seconds, everything was black. "So, you were listening, were you?" A mocking voice said somewhere above her. She squinted above her, and just made out a fist flying towards her, and smashing into her stomach. She lay, winded, for a few moments paralysed with pain. There was a screaming in her ear and something strong and vicious shaking her. She realized the screaming formed words, and the strong, vicious thing was Dilandau. "You ruined it all!" He screamed. "You defeated Ziabach! Without you, Fanella would be mine and Van would be dead! You did it! IT WAS YOUR FAULT!" He leaned closer to her, and stared into her unfocused, suffering eyes. "How would you like it if I were to slit that pretty throat of yours? How lovely it would be to have your blood spill on the floor, to see Van's horrified face." He chuckled, delighted at the thought. Hitomi whimpered, and blinked. The world slowly came into focus again and she trembled with fear at the fire in Dilandau's eyes. ".Van." Her voice cracked. Her eyes closed for a moment as she gathered strength. "This was just a trap. You're going to kill him," A sob rose up in her throat. Dilandau smiled. "Yes," He whispered. "It's so close, I can almost feel his flesh against my sword, hear his scream." "Oh, God," Hitomi gasped. She felt sick with a deep, all-powerful feeling of terror and helplessness. Tears slid out of her eyes and down her cheeks. ".how.how did this happen?" "Well, The King has been most kind as to force King Van into marrying his daughter, you then ever so convenientely went back to Gaea -that's thanks to the transporter by the way- and found out. Van's little sidekick, Merle spends almost all her time at the market place, and so of course saw you, as I knew she would, and told Van, which of course worried him. I then sent you to Gaea, to learn to be a gentlewoman. I wanted Van to think you'd married me, but it was too obvious that you still loved him, so." "You used me as bait instead." Hitomi whispered. "Yes. I have spies everywhere- thanks to them I have organized an ambush. It'll be easy to take him, after all I've done to him- A forced marriage, his one love in grave danger.as I'm sure you'll agree, Van is a very complex man. To kill him, you have to start with the inside.once he's lost you, and when Fanelia has once again been destroyed, then, and only then, when his spirit is broken and he has no reason left to live, will I kill him." Hitomi's blood ran cold. "I'll have my revenge," He whispered. His ruby eyes gazed briefly into hers. His grip tightened. "I'll have my revenge!" He shouted, and literally picked her up and threw her violently across the corridor. "FOR DAMAGING MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!" He stalked towards the light, motionless body that lay on the floor, with the fire of bloodlust in his eyes.  
  
For a few seconds, Hitomi was in a dark, quiet place. She started to rise from the depths of unconsiousness, and suddenly realized every single cell in her body was screaming: Run. Get out while you still can. She struggled to get up, knowing every second she wasn't running was bringing her closer to her death. Dilandau stopped just a few centametres in front of her. Painfully, she forced herself up and met his gaze. He was between her and the front door. Between her and her freedom. She seriously doubted she'd be able to make it, but it was her only chance.  
  
She remembered in net ball how they'd taught her to faint dodge. That's what she would try now. She leant slightly to her left, and took a mini step in that direction. Dilandau immediately feel for it, but at the last second she shifed her weight and flew to the right. Her feet where pounding beneath her, the door was coming closer and closer, she left as though she were flying. Dilandau gave a sudden grunt of effort and lunged at her, his fingers clawing at the fabric of her dress. Finally, when she was almost out of his grasp, he got a firm hold on her skirt and gave a hard tug. She fell. In a second Dilandau came behind her and gripped her by the waist. With a sinking heart, Hitomi realized she wasn't going to make it. No! She wasn't going to give in without a fight! "LET GO OF ME!" She screamed, kicking Dilandau in the shins. Dilandau ignored her, and threw her to the floor, with her hands held tightly behind her back. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I WON'T LET YOU KILL VAN!!!" "WATCH ME!" Holding her in this fashion, he began to drag her towards the dungeons. Hiitomi struggled to get away, but it was no use; he was too strong. The smooth, polished marble made it hard for her to get up. She felt a wave of panic as he dragged her down the steps to the dungeons. "Dilandau, please." She whimpered. "Shut up!" He snapped. He paused for a moment as he opened one of the door to the cells. He lifted her up and sneering into her face he said: "Don't worry, Hitomi. You'll soon be joined by Lover Boy!" He threw her into the cell, and she looked up in time to see his grinning face shut the door on her. She heard the key turn in the lock. She scrambled up and threw herself againt the door. "Dilandau, open this door NOW!" She screamed furiously. She heard his mocking laughter and his fading footsteps. And then.silence. She leant her head against the thick wooden door, in a true and utter state of complete dispair. In a few hours, she knew, this door would open once again, and Van would be pushed roughly into this awful cell, where Dilandau would kill her in front of him. She would never again see the deep blue sky on a summer's day, never again see her mother and father joking around together, never again see her little brother playing with his friends, and never again see Van smile. Alone in the cold and dark, with only her death to look forward to, she started to cry. 


	10. Asharmi's Spell

THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO DRAGON FAIRY , WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO REVIEW. =)  
  
Chapter Ten- Asharmi's Spell  
  
Asharmi crept into The Royal Circle's meeting room, and carefully closed the door. It had no furniture- only large, comfortable cushions on which the Circle sat during meetings. Carved into the stone above the door way was a rose. The rose of Silence. It smybolized that anything said or done should go no further than this room. Her eyes roamed greedily to the Scared Book of Spells in the centre of the circle, open at the right page. Placed around The Book were the ingrediants for the spell. She smiled. This was just too easy.  
  
She sat down on one of the cushions, and glanced at The Book. Her heart sank when she realized that the spell was written in old Draconian English- not her strong point. But then, if she was able to perform a spell without even understanding the language it was written in, she would be the most respected Seer on Gaea! She would be considered even more important than Lady Tollarna herself! Surely it was worth the risk. Stumbling a bit on the long words, Asharmi began to read. "The re.re." Already, Asharmi had come across a word she didn't understand! Slightly put out, she skipped it and continued her sentence. "of power, the ritual of the Gods, is dangerous and p..powerful? Beware stranger, use not this. power, this cursed power of. At. Atlantis. Do not disobey. If you do then you have.er.skip that word! And those who forget the harsh lessons of .h.hist.history are forced to relive it. To strip a God, person, or demon of their powers, first of all, the door to their power must be opened.to open a door you need a.comiaves, what's that? Um." Asharmi paused for a moment, searching for the right translation. "Key! To open a door, you need a key. The key is a feather of one cursed by the Gods, sprinkled with the blood of an innocent."  
  
Asharmi wondered what the 'feather of one cursed by the Gods' was. There were no birds she knew of that had ever displeased the Gods. It was the only ingrediant that was missing. Oh well. A goose feather would have to do. She carefully took her goose feather out of her pocket. It was her good luck charm, so it seemed fitting that it should take part in her first real spell.  
  
"Place the key in a bowl under a fire. As the blood boils, reach to the object of your spell and wait for the blood to.e.ev.um. once there is no blood left, the door will be open. Place a royal chest of Freid in front of you. You must then recite: ..." After that, there was a long stream of words she didn't understand. "Well, what am I supposed to recite, then?!" She cried angerily. Very carefully, she reread the paragraph. "Release this being.of.erm, themselves?.Wield the magic of..Atlantis. Accept my gift to you." Of course, she had got it completely wrong. What terrible events this child caused through her mistake. So much suffering, Gaea will always remember. "The power will then seep into the chest. The chest must be closed at once with the words. 'Fermo, er, Ferma la puerta derm pouvoir,' The door to the vict.victim's power, the passage to their.soul must then be closed, for it may easily become invaded by. Our Cursed Power, and .their.? will no longer be their own. To do this, .b.burn.the feather in the fire. Once the ritual is over, the only way to .ret.return the power is to have the chest smashed, and. to draw the blood of the. victim with a piece of it. May the Gods favour you, stranger, for you who will .perform this ritual, you are damned." Asharmi sat still for a few moments, processing what she'd just read. She then reached over and dragged the bowl towards her, and put the feather in it. She then took a crystal bottle, which contained a crimson liquid. The blood of an innocent. Gently, she poured the blood over the feather, and watched as the red slowly seeped into the light grey of the goose feather. She put the bottle down and taking the bowl with her, went to the corner of the room were a fire was already roaring. Carefully, so as not to burn herself, she placed the bowl into the fire. Once she had dragged the Royal Chest of Freid in front of her, she sat down near the fire, and closed her eyes. If she was to reach this girl Hitomi, all on her own, she had to concentrate. Slowly, she mentally reached towards Ziabach, following the beautiful vibes of magic that Hitomi was emitting. "Hitomi." She whispered. Almost there.  
  
Hitomi gave a start, her sobs suddenly silenced. She was not alone. Somewhere, in this cell, she could feel a presence. She knew this being, whatever it was, wasn't evil. But it didn't make it any less dangerous. Slowly, willing herself to be silent, she moved into the deepest shadows. Like it would make a difference. She knew it would find her anyway. 'Oh God, what do I do now?' She thought desperately.  
  
There! Asharmi had found her! She opened an eye to check on the fire. The blood was boiling- some of it had already evaporated away. She closed her eyes once more and chanted: "Release this being of.themselves. Wield the magic of Atlantis. Accept my gift to you." Asahrmi waited for a second, and heard, in the distance of what sounded like the low rumble of a thunderstorm. A gentle breeze played with her long, straight hair. She knew at once something was wrong- The door and window were closed. This breeze wasn't a natural one. The low rumble became louder, until it was a huge roar, making the walls tremble with it's fury. "What's happening?!" Asharmi cried, absolutely terrified. If she could complete the spell maybe all this would stop.She took a step towards the chest- it exploded, scattering needle-sharp splinters everywhere. She screamed and threw herself to the ground. 'What have I done?' She asked herself, horrified. "Stop! Stop!" to her immense surprise, it did. She looked up, to see a tall, dark figure in front of her. It radiated power. "Who.who are you?" She whispered. "I am power," said the figure, it's voice deep and ancient. "I am the mother and father of all Magic. everyone of you who have The Gift owe your existence to me. Now you have summoned me, and I will take back what I have given. Hitomi is mine." A strong wind ripped through the room and it was gone. "Oh no."  
  
She could feel an unknown power ripping through her body. It was pushing her spirit out- she was dying! Hitomi opened her mouth to scream, but the mouth that was meant to make the sound was no longer hers. Suddenly the pain stopped. She was vaguly aware that she could see herself. Or at least what used to be her. Its eyes were filled with fire, and was destroying everything in sight. The thing removed the cell door by mere thought, and was gone. Hitomi wasn't perturbed by what she had seen. She moved forward, and realized that she was floating. The strangest thing was, it felt natural. Suddenly she heard someone call her name. The voice sounded familiar. Could it be.? She followed the sound, and drifted through the veils of place and time towards it. "Hitomi," The voice said. She turned round. "Grandma!" She cried joyfully as she threw herself into her grandmother's arms. "Grandma, I've missed you." "I've missed you too, Hitomi." Hitomi buried her head into her grandmother's chest, breathing in that Grandma smell of musty roses and safety. Her Grandmother gently stroked her hair, murmuring: "It's alright, Hitomi. Everything's going to be alright." Hitomi lifted her head and smiled. "Don't worry, Grandma. I like being dead." "No, Hitomi. Listen to me. You weren't meant to die today. This is wrong. I'm sorry, Hitomi. You're going to have to go back." "No!" Every part of her being rebelled against the idea. "I'm not leaving you! I can't loose you again! Besides, I don't want to go back. There's so much suffering there." "I know, Hitomi. But if you die, then Van will die too, and Fanelia will fall. The balance between good and evil will be uneven. Please Hitomi, my darling. I'm sorry this has happened, that you had to suffer so much.but you can't give up." "Oh Grandma." Hitomi felt a touch of helplessness. "Even if I do go back, what good will it do?" "Fate will take care of that, Hitomi." "Grandma." Tears welled up in Hitomi's eyes. "It hurt so much when you died.why must I relive it?" "Hitomi, there isn't just suffering. Can't you remember all the times you were happy? All the times the people around you were happy? One day, you will find your happiness again. But before that, remember: once someone has been touched by power, some of it will always remain. It will be hard for you at first. You must relearn the use of your body and find your memories." "My memories?" Hitomi quiered, confused. "Yes, Hitomi. You will have died and come back, and so the natural balance in your soul will be upset. Your soul contains your memories and feelings, but normally, this wouldn't be enough to forget your soulmate, or anything of spiritual importance. But when you return to Earth, it will have tipped the balance too far, and you will lose your memories. I'm so sorry Hitomi." Hitomi gasped with shock. It took her a few moments to fully realize what her grandmother had just said. "But, Grandma.does this mean I forget about Gaea?.about." Saying it would hurt too much. Instead, she let her Grandmother say it for her. "About Von? Yes, but not for ever. It will take time for you to get used to the new situation. But once you have, gradually your memories will resurface. It will work out in the end." "Will I forget about you? I mean, about what's happening right now?" "Yes, honey, you will." Hitomi nodded, preparing and stengthening herself for the trial to come. Her Grandmother heart tightened. It wasn't right that her sweet little granddaughter should have to fight like this, or have to grow up so quickly. It just wasn't right! Hitomi smiled. It was full of strength and hope and tragedy. "I'm ready to go back now." She said. "Okay, Hitomi." Her grandmother kissed her on the cheek and looked at her for the last time. "Goodbye, Hitomi."  
  
Well, peeps, whatcha think? Please review, it means a lot to me. : ) I'll try and update early september. P.S I'M GOING TO THE LONDON PREMIERE OF LORD OF THE RINGS! YIPEE!!!!!!!!!!!! *does a little jig of joy and dreams of true love, Frodo a.k.a Elijah Wood!* 


	11. Better to have loved and lost than to ha...

Hey, everyone! This has been such a hard chapter to write, you no idea! I've been working on this since September! I hope you enjoy it!  
  
Love J.R  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 11- Better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all.  
  
Hitomi was lying on her back on something hard and cold, and she' d never felt so incredibly weak- even breathing seemed hard. Every part of her body was hurting. It reduced to a dull ache if she didn't move. She opened her eyes and the skies above her were grey. She could hear screaming. She turned her head slightly, and saw burning buildings and people sobbing. Fear stirred inside her, like a dormant snake. "Faneila." She whispered, remembering that awful day. "Hitomi!" It was Maria's voice. She saw her friend appear out of the smoke and run towards her. "Don't come any nearer!" A man with long blond hair stepped in her way, his sword in hand. "But it's my friend, Hitomi, she needs my help." Maria pleaded, frantic with worry. "I'm sorry Ma'am, but she may still be dangerous." "How can you say that!" Maria exploded. "Look at her! She can barely move!!" The man glanced at her, with a strained expression on his face. Allen! "It's okay, Allen." Just speaking sent shocks of pain up and down her body, but she did her best to ignore it. "Hitomi!" Maria threw herself to Hitomi's side. "Hitomi, what happened? Are you alright? Whre does it hurt?" With Maria bombarding her with questions, it was hard to think. And yet, there was something in the back of her mind nagging at her. What was it? It was very important, something she shouldn't forget. "Van! Maria, Allen, we have to help Van, he's in trouble.it's Dilandau.help him, please, before he's killed! Why are you standing there staring at me for?! We have to save him!" "Don't worry, Hitomi, calm down. Van is in Faneila, remember? Nothing can happen to him while he's there," Maria said soothingly, stroking Hitomi's forehead. Until help came, it was very important for Hitomi not to panick. "No he's not!" Allen cried. "He's here, in Ziabach!" "What?!" Maria gasped. "That's.exactly why we have to find him," Hitomi said, almost at the end of her strength. "Where could he be?" Maria asked. "In the house, of course!" Hitomi cried, unable to contain her exasperation. "Hurry, help me up!" Allen rushed forward to help her, but even with both of them on either side of her, she was too tired to be able to cope with the pain. In the end, Allen had to carry her. As they ran towards the house, she wondered whether she'd ever be able to walk again. 'What's wrong with me?' She thought fearfully. No! She had to concerntrate on what was happening- Van was in danger! As they neared the house, she saw that the front door had been blasted off, and the inside of the house utterly destroyed. Had she really done that? How could she have possibly been so violent? And so.evil. She shuddered at the thought that that evil thing, just a few minutes ago, had been her. They entered the house, and Hitomi became aware of a deathly silence. It was as though the house was holding its breath, somehow. "Go to the end of the corridor," She whispered. "At the end of it, there's a staircase that leads to the dungeons. They're down there." Allen nodded. "You two stay here while I go to the dungeons. "No!" Hitomi cried. Two of the people she loved the most where down there, and Allen expected her just to wait for him to save the day?! "If Hitomi's going, then I'm coming too," Maria said quietly. "And I'm going," Hitomi said firmly. Tired as she was, she had a will of iron, and Allen knew he wouldn't be able to convince her to stay away. Still, it was worth a try. "I can't look after you and fight," He said, trying to reason with her. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself!" Hitomi exclaimed angrily. "Besides," she added, "if I do need anything, Maria will help me." Allen sighed and nodded. "Right. Let's go!"  
  
Dilandau giggled. "Hitomi's easy," He drawled, grinning at Van, who was kneeling on the floor in chains. He was cut quite deeply on one arm, and his cheek was bruised. "You liar! How dare you try to dull her honour!" He shouted. "Oh, but it's true," Dilandau replied smoothly. "After the way you treated her, any man would do- she was gagging for it!" "Dilandau, you monster!" Dilandau laughed. "Isn't my revenge brilliant, Lord Van? You have lost Hitomi, and in a few hours, you will lose Fanelia. Your country will burn once again, and if your unhappiness doesn't kill you, then I will. Eventually." He smiled. "I'd like to have some fun first. Because no one hurts my face, Van. No one." "You won't get away with this, Dilandau." "Oh really? What can you do to me when you're lying on the ground in chains?! And Allen can't help you, if that's what you're thinking.Your babysitter has got an appointment at the morgue. My men are very efficient, you see." "No, Allen!" Van cried in horror. Allen was clever, he knew how to survive. It must be lies.  
  
They stopped at the last turn before the cells. This last corner was close enough to hear what was happening, but it was still possible to stay hidden from anyone who might be further on. Dilandau's words had made Allen very angry, and any emotion during mortal combat could prove to be a fatal distraction. He took a deep breath in order to calm himself down. "Here, Hitomi. On the floor," He whispered. He gently lowered her down. If she leaned a little to the right, she could see Van. And Dilandau. 'Oh, Van.' Suddenly she realized Allen didn't know who Dilandau really was. Fool! She'd forgotten to tell him! Hitomi opened her mouth to speak. "Shh," Allen said. "It's alright." One moment he was standing there, smiling reassuringly at Hitomi. And the next. the next he was charging towards Dilandau- and Yukari- with his sword drawn. "Allen, no!" Hitomi screamed. It was too late. Hitomi watched helplessly as Allen's blade forced itself through her best friend. Dilandau looked up at Allen, with an expression of surprise in his eyes. Allen let go of his sword, and slowly, never taking his eyes off Dilandau, stepped back a pace. "May the Gods have mercy on you, Dilandau. I've won." Dilandau opened his mouth to speak, but instead fell to his knees, coughing up a deep red liquid. Blood. The colour of his eyes. Dilandau lifted his head, and looked past Allen, searching. His dying gaze met Hitomi's. His lips curved into a smile. "Yukari." He whispered. "Maybe.I won after all," He laughed, but the sound was drowned out by a fresh surge of blood. He closed his eyes and fell to the floor. Slowly at first, Dilandau to change- his face became softer, his hair longer. And redder. Dilandau was leaving Yukari's body! Did that mean that Yukari was.dead? "YUKARI!" Hitomi screamed. She was trembling with emotion, so afraid, but still hopeful. "Maria, help me!" Maria dragged Hitomi up, and together they made their way to Yukari's immobile form. Hitomi kneeled by her side, sobs racking her body. "Yukari," She gasped painfully. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be dead. Only the bad guys died. Yukari was good. "Yukari!" Allen paled, the shock clear on his face. "Hitomi, I'm sorry, I.I didn't know. This is just like with Celena!" Hitomi felt her tears trickle down her chin, those perfect, pear-shaped drops of pain. She felt them land with an almost audible splash onto her hands, and underneath, the smallest pinpricks of anger formed. Suddenly her anger gathered together form a tidal wave of fury, which came out as a tormented, accusing scream. "EXCEPT YOU DIDN'T KILL HER!!!" Hitomi tried to hold his gaze, but covered her face as fresh sobs took over her once more. Trying to keep a hold of herself, she carefully looked back up at him, and where in her eyes innocence had been, there was burning a violent anger, and blame. "I hate you." She said quietly, through gritted teeth. She turned back to Yukari, and brushed the hair away from her dead friend's face. "Oh Yukari, I'm so sorry." She whimpered. She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hitomi." At the sound of his voice her heart was soaring. She turned round and looked into his soft brown eyes. She needed comfort, to know someone was there for her. She threw her arms around him, her head against his chest. "Van," she wept. Slowly, he lifted his arms and closed them around her, feeling awkward. "Hitomi.what have you done?" "Huh.?"She drew away from him, confused. "What do you mean, what have I done? You're the one who married someone else!" He opened his mouth to speak but she silenced him, pressing a finger to his lips. "You gave me up and married a traitor. Did you know the King of Paymere was in league with the Ziabach rebels? The whole point of you getting married was so that I would go over to Ziabach! They used me as bait...Why did you come to save me? Dilandau said." "Forget anything Dilandau said!" Van looked at her pleadingly, grabbing hold of her arms. "I don't love my Queen! I love you!" She shook her head. Why was he saying this? He was giving her hope.God, how could he be so cruel? "Then why did you marry her?!" "Because, I had no choice..her father would have destroyed Fanelia if I had said no..now I know why. I'm so sorry Hitomi. I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear." Her eyes shone with tears. "Oh Van.I love you too, but." She glanced behind her, at her best friend, her clothes drenched in blood. "You have a wife, and I have to go home." "No, Hitomi, please! She's a traitor! Forget about her!" He cried desperately. "Van, you're not making this any easier!" Her tears were blurring her vision. "I have to go back! Like you, I have no choice." Tenderly, she placed a hand on his cheek, and her hand grew wet with his tears. They hurt more than her own. "Remember me, Van," She whispered. "Because I." A sob leapt into her throat, and speaking was almost impossible. "Because. I won't," Van looked into her eyes, hurt and confused. "Hitomi, what are you saying?" She smiled sadly, and gently reached up to kiss him. She knew no one would ever be able to make her as happy as Van could. And now she had to give it all up. "I'm saying goodbye," She said quietly, gently pushing him away. She turned to Yukari, and took hold of one of her pale, limp hands. "We're going home." "No!" Van cried. "Wait!" The white light had come. 'I love you,' She mouthed as the pillar of light lifted her away. "HITOMI!" Van shouted, trying to get a hold of her. "HITOMI!" For a few seconds their fingers met, and she felt something being pushed into the palm of her hand. She pulled it back, and looked at what Van had given her. It was a fine gold necklace attached to a small, white feather, delicately carved from ivory. It was beautiful. She lifted her head to say thank you, but already, they had left Gaea.  
  
So guys, what do you think? I was thinking of leaving it there, but seeing as I can't decide, it's up to the reviewers. Is my story complete or do I need to continue and develop on the whole Hitomi losing her memory thing and coming to terms with her new powers? And maybe at the end a happy v/h ending.I don't know! REVIEW COZ I NEED HELP DECIDING!!!!!!!!!!! Love J.R 


	12. Return and Exile

Hi guys! In the end, I decided to continue with the story. Things may not make scence at the beginning, but that's because this is a new phase of the story- things will be explained in the next chapter, I promise! (which will be coming soon, as it's the holidays at the moment, and I've got the storyline all worked out). V. TOMMORROW, THE 18TH OF FEB, IS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: MY 15TH BIRTHDAY!!!!! : )!) enjoy! Lots of Love, Aren't Tuesdays the best?! Anyway, sit back, relax, and (hopefully Very Evil (well, not so much @ the mo- can't be evil all the time, can you? ne way, it's my b-day!) Daughter of Lord Voldemort.  
  
Chapter Twelve- Return and Exile  
  
Sobbing. Like the soft ebb of the tide, somewhere deep in the darkness, there was the sound of tears. "Mum." she murmered. No.it was the cry of a child. "I'm sorry," the little girl sobbed. "I'm sorry." There was sorrow and fear in the child's voice, and Hitomi's heart ached with the pain of it. "Shhh.don't be scared. What's your name?" She whispered. The girl didn't answer. Wouldn't answer. Somehow she knew the girl couldn't hear her.was that because this was just a dream? Maybe the girl wasn't even real, though her pain was real enough. A thought flittered across her mind- maybe she wasn't even here, in body at least. Or maybe, she was the one who wasn't real.the thought scared her so badly she didn't even notice what was happening until it was too late. Another place was calling her, pulling her back.. "Hitomi!" The girl cried. "Hitomi!" She needed Hitomi, she was only a child. Hitomi tried to fight the force that was pulling her away, but the more she tried to stay, the harder it got. Somehow without her noticing, the world had shifted. Voices and images were floating and wavering in front of her. They were distorted and confused, as though she were looking at the world from underwater. She felt herself be lifted towards the strange, busy visions above her. Her head broke the surface, and she rose, gasping with shock. "Hitomi!"  
  
That voice.it sounded familiar.  
  
Slowly she opened her eyes, but they didn't seem to be working the way they used to. She waited for a few painful seconds for the room to stop moving, and became aware of a face staring at her. She squinted, trying to make out who it was. "Mum.?" She asked, sounding unsure of herself. The face flooded with relief, and briefly, a smile flickered on her mother's face. "Thank God, you know me. The doctors said that you - " "The doctors? Mum, where am I?" Her whole body was aching and even though she had just woken up, she was incredably tired. She had so many questions to be answered. "Shh, it's okay. You're in Hospital. You're going to be fine." Hitomi tried to nod, but the pain hit her head like a hammer blow. She whimpered, screwing her face up against the hurt. "Hitomi! Hitomi, what's wrong?" Her mother cried, her voice trembling with anxiety. "Mum." Hitomi whimpered. She fidgeted irritatedly, as though trying to wriggle away from the pain. "It hurts!" She complained. Why was she hurting so bad? Why wasn't she at home? How did she end up at this hospital? Her complete inability to answer these questions made her angry. She was tired, and hurting and confused. But most of all, she felt under attack. All these people she didn't know, in a place she didn't know, while she was so defenceless and weak.strong feelings of agression stirred up inside her, the first she'd ever had. "What are you all standing there for?! Go away! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Ignoring the pain, she thrashed in her bed and yelled at the people around her - her mother, the nurses, a doctor.Hands were pressing on her, forcing her back down onto the bed. She vaguely heard her mother's panicked demands for something to calm her down, and strained voices she didn't regonise. She screamed as the hands gently, but firmly tipped her head forward. She struggled even harder, but whoever was holding her down was too strong. Her mouth was forced open and a foul smelling liquid was poured down her throat.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Asharmi sat on the floor, in a room with no furniture and a dry, dirt floor. Light was streaming through the window above her, but did nothing to lighten her heart. She was sobbing, bitter tears of repentence. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." She wept bitterly. How she regretted the day that she let her stupidity and arrogance take over her actions. She heard a door open, and looked up to see Lady Tollarna staring dissaprovingly down at her. "The Royal Circle of Seers have gathered, and come to a decision. Hear this, your fate: you are guilty of grave misjudgment which led to the destruction of several Ziabach buildings, and several people seiously wounded. You have therefore committed treason." Her face was stern, but her eyes shone with pity. Asharmi felt a sob rise in her throat. 'No,' she thought fiercely. 'I've got to take this like a grown up.' "However." Just that one word was enough for hope to exist once again in Asharmi's heart. "We have acknowledged the fact that you are just a child, and have decided against using the traditional laws of this land. Instead, you will be stripped of your title as a member of the Royal Circle of Seers. Never again will you be allowed to take part in any of your former activities as apprentice Caster, including all spells and rituals that consist of chanting in the sacred, ancient languages, potion brewing, and Spirit Healing. Tomorrow at dawn you will be released and be sent away from this country to live in exile. As from then you will be prohibited from using your powers in any form." Asharmi gasped, new tears falling from her eyes. Lady Tollarna crouched down so that she was eye level with the little girl, her own eyes wet. "Little Lady, you have made a mistake, and have paid dearly for it. Too dearly, perhaps.but the King loves his country too much to put it at risk just for one little girl like you. I'm sorry, Asharmi. Maybe one day, when you are older it will be different.." She kissed Asharmi lightly on the forehead. "Please don't grow up hating us, Asharmi. We did the best we could." "Lady Tollarna, how can I leave here? This is my home!" A huge sence of panic gripped her. Life at the palace was all she'd ever known. She'd lived in a house with a family once, when she was very small, but she remembered very little of it. All the family she knew were all here, and now she had to leave! What was she going to do. "Don't worry," Lady Tollarna said, as though reading her mind. "I may not be with you, but I will still be caring for you. I have discussed the matter with His Royal Majesty and his aunt, Princess Millerna of Fried, despite what has happened, as agreed to take care of you for the time being. You are very lucky, you should be grateful. Try to be happy." Asharmi shook her head desperately. "It's not were I belong! I belong here, with all of you." She grabbed hold of Lady Tollarna's hands, pleading, begging. "No!" Lady Tollarna pulled her hands away, suddenly tall and proud like a swan. "Goodbye, little lady." She smiled slightly, a flicker of emotion in a face whose responsibilities had always ruled over feeling. With that last, shy smile, Lady Tollarna swept out of the room, and once again Asharmi was left alone.  
  
Like it, Hate it? How can I improve it? Please review- your comments are really useful, and help keep me going! ( 


	13. Brave New World?

A/N: Hellooooooo!!!! Sorry, this chapter is short, but if I added any more, there would be too much stuff going on. Next chapter will be more interesting.  
  
Chapter 13- Brave New World.?  
  
Hitomi turned her head to look at the window. She could hear the faint laughter of children, and imagined them playing together under the bright, warm sky. The thought filled her with a deep yearning. She wanted to be free, like them, but instead, she was stuck here, with no one telling her anything. How much school had she missed? Was she going to go back at all? "Mum?" Hitomi asked. "Yes, sweetie?" Her mother said, looking up from her book. "Does it hurt still?" "Um, no, it's not that. It's just.I don't get why I'm here. What happened?" Mrs. Kanzaki put her book down, and took hold of Hitomi's hand. "We were hoping you could tell us." "What? Mum, I.can't." "Why? Are you protecting someone?" "No! For God's sake Mum, I don't even know what I'm meant to be protecting them from!.you ask me to answer my own questions, well I don't know the answers! Why am I here? And how come Yukari hasn't been in to see me yet? And why am I hurting all the time? What happened? I don't know! I have no idea! I don't remember anything! I just don't remember!" Hitomi shouted, furious. "Shhh, I'm sorry, it's ok." Mrs. Kanzaki began. "How is it ok, Mum?" Hitomi asked, anger giving into fear. "I don't understand.I can't remember. I can't remember, I can't.I." She sobbed, covering her face. Her sobs where like stabs to her mother's heart. "Oh, Hitomi," She sighed. She wrapped her arms around her little girl and drew her close. "Things will change, you won't feel like this forever," She murmured, stroking her daughter's soft brown hair. "Shhhh."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Shhhh.." Asharmi sat in the coach, watching the stars in the sky, and listening to the murmur of the waves. "Shhhh." Princess Millerna, who was sitting opposite, had already been sung to sleep by the lullaby of the sea. Asharmi felt her eyes droop, and knew she was soon to follow. They must be near the capital of Austuria by now- she'd heard the sea almost all day. Her first day away from the Palace. Maybe, She thought sleepily, this life wasn't so bad after all. Maybe.apart from the guilt of Hitomi's pain. she frowned, trying to push such unwelcome thoughts away. Time to sleep, and dream.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Okay, Hitomi, so you want to know what happened?" Hitomi nodded. "Yes." She said firmly. "Okay. One night when Yukari was on a date with Amano, and you were feeling lonely. You wanted to go to the temple to do a little soul searching., so your Father took you. He had forgotten some paperwork at the office, and left you by yourself while he went to get them. He should have known it was dangerous to leave a young girl out by herself at night! I can't believe he'd be so stupid as to - " "Mum, calm down! Just tell me what happened!" "Yes, I'm sorry. Okay then. Well, around about the same time, Yukari said she didn't feel too good and wanted to go home. Amano drove her back. He dropped her off a few streets away from her home, as she said she wanted some fresh air. This was only a few minutes away from the very temple that you were at. Amano offered to walk with her, but she said no." "What's Yukari's date got to do with it?" "I'm coming to that. From then on, we don't know anything for sure. Presumably she changed her mind, and went to the temple, and met you there instead. Do you remember?" "No. I think I met someone while I was there, and something happened, but.I don't for sure. Sorry, I'm not helping much, am I, Mum?" Mrs. Kanzaki smiled gently, and shook her head. "You just concerntrate on getting better. You can worry about remembering later," She said soothingly. "Anyway, after that, you both went missing." "Missing?!" "Yes, Hitomi. You were gone for three days. When your father came back from the office, there was no one there. I was so afraid, Hitomi. You have no idea what it did to me." Tears shone in her mother's eyes. Hitomi squeezed her mother's hand, trying to be brave. Mrs. Kanzaki sniffed, and forced the tears back. "Any way, you were both found outside the temple five days ago, unconscious. The police have been questioning people, but nothing was found. They were hoping that you could." "Mum. I don't remember." Hitomi's voice was sharp, though she regretted it as soon as she saw the hurt in her mother's eyes. "I know, darling, I know. The doctors think it might just be shock. It'll come back to you in time," She said, forcing a smile. "Any way, why can't they just ask Yukari? She was there too." Mrs. Kanzaki's smile faded. "Oh, Hitomi.Yukari is." "What? What is it?" A cold wave of panic gripped her, squeezing her. She couldn't breathe. "What happened? She's going to be okay, right?" "Hitomi, you've got to understand how serious this is. She's in Intensive Care. When the police found you both, she'd been stabbed. She's lost a huge amount of blood and the damage to her internal organs.The doctors are doing all they can for her, but." "But what?" "Hitomi, the doctors don't think she's going to survive. It's a miracale she managed to survive for these past five days, let alone the rest of her life! Honey, I know how hard this must be for you. I'm so sorry." "No!" Hitomi fell back onto her pillows, gasping with shock. This wasn't happening! Yukari had been with her only a few days ago! Hitomi ignored the babbled apologies from her mother, engrossed in her own pain. Now she welcomed the aches. The doctors could use medicine to silence them. But no one could dull this pain. She turned her head away from her mother, to look out of the window. She could hear the faint laughter of children, and imagined them playing together under the bright, warm sky. Everything was just has it had always been. Except her whole world had changed.  
  
So, what do you think? Does anyone understand what is going on or am I just a babbling idiot?! Review please! - or I'll hunt you down and eat you all!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kisses, Juliet. P.S When Yukari said she didn't feel good and wanted to go home, it was because Dilandau was starting to take over her body- by the time she'd reached the temple, she'd become Dilandau..and you know the rest! 


	14. Hope

Hey guys, how are you all? I'm kinda thinking this story is getting boring, so tell me if you think so too! Things should be more interesting later on, with some romance, but I'm not sure if I'm very good at fluff!!! Thank you for all your reviews- and Snarfburgalar(), I agree - the Harry Potter books are great, but the movies and merchendise is complete crap! Enjoy, J.R  
  
Chapter 14- Hope  
  
In just a few days, Hitomi's whole life had fallen apart. Her best friend fighting for her life, a huge and terrifying void in her memory, and now this. A Genetic disease. Could never have been predicted. The words of the doctor echoed on in Hitomi's head. A particulary traumatic situation would have sped up the side effects. No cure. Is that what it was? Was that the reason why she was left so tired all the time, why she ached so badly? No. Deep down, Hitomi knew this couldn't be the answer. She could feel the power, deep inside, though it was just a glimmer of a faintest memory, it would explain everything.but it just wasn't coming. She sighed irritatedly. She hated feeling so ignorant. There must be a way. Like dowsing, for instance. Slowly, she reached for her pendant, and lifted it over her head. She gasped, hardly believing what she was seeing. The necklace in her hands wasn't her grandmother's. But it wasn't hers either. She'd never seen it in her life before. Then how.? Trembling, she turned it over in her hands, carefully taking in the fine gold chain, and the delicate white feather attached to it. "This is too weird," she muttered, closing her hand over it and bringing it close to her chest, to keep it safe. She could feel the love that surrounded it, the importance of it. Her heart ached with a sudden yearning, and Hitomi forced down the urge to cry out in sorrow. What was the point in crying when you didn't even know what you were crying about? It was just the necklace, the love it represented, it made her so sad. 'I'm missing something I've never had. This is stupid,' she tried to reason with herself, in vain. The heart needs no reason. Who had given her this necklace? And where was her old one? Before she even had time to think, a name escaped her lips. "Van." She started, as though waking from a dream. She didn't know anyone called Van! So why had that name slipped past her lips, with such tenderness? Who was this 'Van'? An angel. with hope. But what did it mean? It was reminding her of something .she couldn't quite figure it out .. Maybe mum would know.  
  
"How could you be so irresponsible?!" Mrs. Kanzaki hissed at her husband, who was sitting in the driver's seat. They'd been parked by the hospital for several minutes, but it seemed as though neither had the intention of actually entering. "Honey, I - " "Don't you honey me! One girl dying and now this! All because of you!" She cut in, ruthlessly. "It wasn't my fault!" He protested. "How dare you! You're her father! You were meant to be there for her, protect her! But instead.you left her to die!" Mrs. Kanzaki cried. "How could I have known something like that was going to happen?! And even if I had stayed, do you think I would have made a difference? It would have turned out the same. I know I did wrong -" "You can say that again!" "-but in the long run, Hitomi would have still had the difective gene! One way or another, it would have been activated. She'd still develop this genetic disease, and she and Yukari would still suffer! I'm sorry you have no one to blame so you can feel better, I'm sorry! I can't do anything to protect any of you! I'm sorry! I'm so useless. I try my best and I don't mean to be. I'm sorry. What a father I must be.." He was crying, the anger was gone. Once again, Mrs. Kanzaki was faced with tears. Once again, was she meant to be the strong one? She rested her head on his shoulder, and his arm came around her, like a dead man looking for life. "We're not Gods," She sighed, crying into his chest. "We did our best, but now, in front of this? it makes no difference. It doesn't even matter." She gazed into his sad brown eyes, and inside her own, he saw a glimmer of hope forming. A shadow of a smile crossed her face. ".but we can still try." He nodded, trying to return her smile. Holding each other close, with the tears still falling, they gradually found the strength that would see them through. 


	15. Dreaming Hidden Warnings

This chapter is for esca chick, the first person who reviewed Chapter 14. Thank you! :( I thought that last chapter was a bit boring, (ZZZZZZZ..) but hopefully I've got the story moving forward again. I'm sorry the most recent chapters are so short, ( but I feel that if they're any longer they would upset the structure of the story ( * glares * stupid..piontless SCAFFOLDING!!!) and the importance of the events. In my next chapter I'll try and make more of an effort to make them longer, * snorts * ...but I'm a lazy cow !!!! he he he. Enjoy mucho.....  
  
Chapter 15- Dreaming Hidden Warnings  
  
The nurse gazed at the young girl, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed. "She's so beautiful," he sighed, checking her data sheet. Hitomi Kanzaki. It had a nice ring to it. He looked back to the quiet, innocent face and wondered what was going on in her mind as she slept, protected from the world by her dreams. Smiling, he walked away to the next patient.  
  
The sun was shining, the sky was blue. She could hear birds singing. "Where am I?" She asked the world. "Hitomi!" She turned, startled at the voice of someone calling her. It was a little girl. Hadn't she heard that voice before? She tried to move towards it, but in front of her was a large hedge, impossible to get through. "Where are you?" She called, the curiosity inside her making her think of nothing else. "I'm here!." the voice was muffled, ".in the garden! It's behind the hedge! There's a way in!." Hitomi strode around it, searching for the entrance. "Where?" She shouted. "There's a door." Hitomi stopped as she arrived at a small wooden door, painted a bright cheerful red. Without hesitating, Hitomi lifted the latch, and bending down slightly, entered the garden. She straightened up, looking around her. The first thing she saw was the apple blossom. The beautiful heart-shaped petals of pink, drifting in the wind. It was like the tide. The next thing she saw was a little girl, sitting on a white bench. She was holding some flowers, muttering furiously, picking the petals of each one. Intrigued, though somewhat worried, Hitomi slowly edged near, until she could hear words with the muttering. "Forgive me," the girl picked off another petal. "Forgive me not. Forgive me." She picked another. There were only three petals left. "Forgive me not. Forgive me." She picked the last petal, and stared at it as though it where a death sentence. "Forgive me not. Hitomi," Hitomi gasped and stepped back. The girl hadn't seen her, so how could she know? The girl let go of the petal and watched as it was blown away by the breeze. "Hitomi." She repeated, and turned to look at her. Hitomi faced her gaze, though felt as though she should be running instead of staying here, with this insane little girl. "Um, are you playing a game?" She asked politely. The girl shook her head. "Oh no, Hitomi. You know we're not allowed. We know too much. If you wanted to play, you should have closed your eyes." "What do you mean?" "Seer. All of us are cursed! All of you." "You know me." Hitomi frowned, confused. "But I don't know you." "Yes you do. Surely you remember me, this little girl who has hurt you so badly. Asharmi. That's me." "Asharmi.?" Hitomi came nearer, and carefully, warily sat next to Asharmi. It seemed stupid to be afraid. She was just a little girl. But once again, Hitomi was being reminded of things she didn't know. "You.mean something," She said, searching for the right words. The little girl nodded. "Yes," she sighed. "Because you can't remember can you?" "Remember what?" "Remember the power you had. The power inside you. Remember this." She held out her hand. Hitomi gasped. "How did you.?" Inside the palm of her hand lay Hitomi's necklace. "The person who gave this to you loved you. He still does." "He?" "Yes. In the Zone of Absolute Fortune eternal love was born. You can't help it, you were born to do it. Remember him. Van." Hitomi gasped, and stood up, fear invading her. That was the same name she had said when she had first found the necklace. How did this girl know? "Who are you?" She asked, her voice tense. Asharmi ignored the question. "He couldn't take over all the power you had, so he's gone. He's gone in search of someone else. But he'll be back for you, Hitomi. He's going to get you. You have to remember before it's too late," she said quietly. Asharmi's words sent a chill down Hitomi's spine. Why would anyone want to hurt her? "You mean Van?" She questionned, though she knew knowing the name of her enemy would make no difference. Her 'illness' made her weak and vunerable. She could barely walk, let alone fight. Suddenly realising the true extent of her vunerability, thousands of fears and worries came to haunt her. She tried to push them away, to hear what Asharmi would say next. Asharmi smiled sweetly. "No, silly." For a second, Hitomi saw a child, not a seer. Seers don't have childhoods, they can't close their eyes. Poor Asharmi. Asharmi's gaze focused on someone behind her. Sensing their eyes on her back, Hitomi turned to face whoever it was. The man who stood before them held a knife. It glinted in the sunlight, the same way the insanity glinted in his face. He was holding it ready to strike Hitomi down. He could kill her at any second, but Hitomi didn't move. She could only stand, and stare, mesmerized by the man's eyes. "Look, Hitomi," said Asharmi, still smiling. "A nice man with red eyes is here. Isn't red a pretty colour?" The man smiled, and Hitomi said nothing. She wanted to scream.  
  
Asharmi jumped, and awoke, gasping. She lay there in the dark of her new bedchamber, breathing heavily. What a weird nightmare! But why should she be worried? It couldn't be a vision. She wasn't a member of the Circle now. She wasn't allowed to have visions. No reason to think any more of it. She had a new life now, and Hitomi was on the Mystic Moon. Hitomi was safe..wasn't she?  
  
Review! Review! Review! Or I'll come and Hunt you! Hunt you! Hunt you! So you'd better Review! Review! Review! Did everyone like my little song? Tee-hee! oh yeah, and don't forget to review! Chocolate.. Yummy.. Love J.R Keep munchin', ppl! 


	16. Like a Prayer

Hi ppl! Yay, I'm not dead! * does lil dance of joy* Thanx so much for all your support. *sniff sniff * I love you guys! Things are finally getting interesting in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy. Anyone who was wondering about what happens to Dilly, all will be explained! But if you can't wait till then, scroll down to the next A/N at the end of the chapter.  
  
Chapter 16- Like a Prayer  
  
The car slowed and finally stopped, just outside the house.  
  
"We're here," Hitomi's father said.  
  
"I know." She replied. She waited as he got out of the car and went round to her side in order to open the car door for her.  
  
"Do you want me to get your wheelchair out?" He asked.  
  
Hitomi could see the pain in his eyes as he said it, reminding himself.'that I'm a cripple,' Hitomi concluded bitterly. "No. I'm fine." She replied, colder than she intended.  
  
He nodded, and said: "Let me help you then."  
  
She said nothing but allowed her father to carry her into the house. He carefully placed her on the stairs in the hallway. "I'll be back in a minute," He said, and left to get her bags out of the car. Hitomi sighed, and feeling like a misplaced object, patiently waited for him. It had been a week after her strange dream, and she had finally been allowed to go home. She could hear her brother was playing on the playstation 2 - the sounds of simulated gunshots came bursting from the living room, with the occasional curse, as once again 007 was killed.  
  
"Mamaru!" Her mother shouted. "Hold your tongue or swear politely!"  
  
"Yes, Ma!" Mamaru shouted back.  
  
Hitomi smiled. They hadn't heard her, and so she sat, unnoticed, listening to her mother's old radio and her strong, healthy footsteps as she walked across the kitchen. For a few minutes at least, she could pretend she was in a normal family, living a yfnormal life. She pretended that she was just sitting here not because she had no choice, but because she was busy planning her day. As healthy and as strong as she was, life had too many possibilities. 'First, I think I'll go for a run,' she thought. 'And then I'll.'  
  
But Hitomi never got to finish that wistful daydream, as it was at that moment that her father walked in carrying her bags. Seeing that she was alone, he have her an inquiring glance. "Haven't they said hello to you yet, Hitomi? Mamaru, where are your manners?! Come greet your sister!"  
  
"Hitomi?!" The shouts from the kitchen and living room sounded in usion. Hitomi heard footsteps, and saw the blurred form of her mother. Her mother knelt down and she was drawn into her mother's embrace. She was surrounded by her mother's smell- a perfect mix of safety, biscuits, perfume and love. Hitomi closed her eyes and breathed it in, cradled in her mother's arms. For a brief second, as her head rested on her mother's chest, she heard her mother's heartbeat, strong and loving on the other side.  
  
Slowly her mother released her from the hug, and taking a good look at her, and smiled. "You look healthier than last time," she said. Hitomi tried to smile back, knowing it wasn't true.  
  
"Hitomi!" Marmaru pushed past, and pouncing on his sister so that she fell backwards onto the stairs in a way that made her laugh, he hugged her with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. For a short period, at least, her face lit up, and she almost looked like the person she used to be.  
  
"Come into the kitchen, it can't be very comfortable on the stairs. Are you hungry? I've made your favourite biscuits!" Her mother asked eagerly, offering a hand.  
  
"Um, Mum, I'm really tired. I was kinda hoping to have a rest. Sorry. Maybe later okay?"  
  
Hitomi forced her self to stand, and turned to go up the stairs, not wanting to see the hurt expression on her mother's face. Her father instantly rushed to her side. "I'll carry you, Hitomi. You're not well enough yet."  
  
Hitomi scowled. "I'm not made of china!" she snapped.  
  
"Yes, but - "  
  
She held up a hand, cutting him off. She would have never been able to do that in normal circumstances. She was ill, not mad! Why was everyone so nice - no matter what?!  
  
"Errr.I'm just going to finish my game," Mamaru muttered, retreating back to the living room. Hitomi suspected that she and her. disability embarrassed him. Like she cared! Bakas, all of them! Grabbing hold of the banister, she slowly dragged herself up the first step. It exhausted her. She rested for a few seconds, continued on to the second one.  
  
"For goodness sake, Hitomi!" Her mother snapped. "Be sensible! You're going to tire yourself out."  
  
Hitomi ignored her. She'd had enough of being an old woman! She wanted to be treated normally again! To be normal!  
  
"Hitomi," Her father warned, as she stumbled over a step. Hitomi sighed in response. She glanced back, and on seeing that her pain and effort had taken her only four steps, rested her head on the wall, resignation on her face. "Fine! Help me up, then!"  
  
Her father squeezed her shoulder, comforting her, as though he understood. Gently, he carried her to her room and laid her down on her bed.  
  
"Is there anything else you need, darling?" Her mother asked from the doorway. "I can get you some of those biscuits if you've changed your mind- they're still warm," she added hopefully. It pained her to see Hitomi's hollowed cheeks, bony wrists and frail frame. She hadn't been eating properly recently, despite the Doctor's orders.  
  
Hitomi shook her head, smiling. "I'm fine," she whispered.  
  
Mum nodded. "Sleep well. I'll be downstairs if you need me."  
  
She left the room. Hitomi turned her gaze to her father. Wasn't this his cue to leave? As though reading her mind, he kissed her forehead, and said: "Are you sure you don't need anything before I go?"  
  
"Actually Dad, could you but this on for me?" Hitomi handed him a CD - Like a Prayer by Mad'house - and closed her eyes. "At a low volume. It's just so I can get to sleep."  
  
She waited for a few seconds, and on hearing the music quietly pouring out from her hi-fi, smiled. "Thanks, Dad."  
  
She opened her eyes but he was already gone. She closed them again, and let the music take a hold of her.  
  
............................  
  
"Life is a mystery Everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name And it feels like Home."  
  
The lush green fields of Fanelia waved and rippled as the wind blew through it. It brought a smell to her senses. It was a soft smell, sweet like the grass and fresh like the morning dew. It was so familiar, and with it, came a voice. "Hitomi!" She knew that voice. It invoked happiness in her that she hadn't felt for a long time. She turned her gaze, searching for him. She sensed, rather than felt the tiny tremor from the rolling hills and vast plains full of life. Was he coming? Was it a sign? Her heart ached with longing.  
  
"When you call my name, It's like a little prayer I'm down on my knees I wanna take you there In the midnight hour I can feel your power Just like a prayer You know I'll take you there,"  
  
She remembered his lean, muscular frame and his scruffy yet silky raven hair. She remembered his anger and his gentleness, and a promise she had made. It was broken. Where was he? Hitomi again felt a tremble beneath her feet as the ground shook. She trembled with it, suddenly afraid. Where was he? The beautiful fields seemed to groan as they were suddenly lowering themselves, falling away to nothingness. She backed away, terrified as gaping holes were suddenly formed in the haven of Fanelia. Even the ground she was on was slowly tilting into the dark emptiness underneath. She took a deep breath and braced herself.  
  
"I hear your voice It's like an angel sighing I have no choice I hear your voice Feels like flying I close my eyes Although I think I'm falling Out of the sky"  
  
She scrambled away from the gaping holes, desperately grabbing anything she could find to help her from slipping - What was happening? Why wasn't he here by her side? She reached for a hold, but missed, and slipped. With a sickening lurch, against her will she felt herself begin to fall backwards. The balance had tipped, and Hitomi knew what was to come. She could feel the rush of adrenalin, as her heart thundered against her chest. She skidded and slid down an almost vertical stretch of earth until there was none left, and she fell into the darkness. She was sick and dizzy with fright. Then came the scream, though she knew it was hopeless. "VAAAN!!"  
  
"I close my eyes Heaven help me!"  
  
Hitomi did not want to see her death rush up to meet her. She didn't want to look up and see her hope slip through her fingers. She shut it all out instead, screwing her eyes closed. A sob rose in her throat. He should have been here! He would have kept her safe, and she would have loved him forever. But now it was too late.  
  
"When you call my name - "  
  
"HITOMI!" It was him! Her eyes snapped open. Light beat back the darkness engulfing her. He was so close, they could almost touch. Her angel! He was finally here! She gasped with pleasure, happiness filling her. Death was seconds away, but a smile shone on her lips. He was reaching out to her, his beautiful wings spread out behind him, his gentle face desperate. Then, for a terrifying second, it seemed as though he wouldn't be able to reach her. Time stopped. He lunged forward and Hitomi felt a strong grip on her arm. She yelped with the sudden pain as her weight pulled down on her arm, threatening to dislocate it. He took her other arm, and took hold of her waist. She was in his arms now; she was going to be alright. She pressed close to him, crying with relief, as they flew back up together, towards the light. .....................................  
  
Hitomi's eyes shot open, and immediately her hand went to her neck, feeling the graceful curves of the ivory feather. As she realised it was there, she gave a sigh of relief, strangely comforted from her bizarre dream. With the music finished, the house was silent and judging by the light outside, it was late. She yawned, and sat up on the bed. In the gloom she could just make out her bags (all empty) neatly placed in a corner. They must have been unpacked as she slept.  
  
Covering her eyes against the light, Hitomi flicked on the switch of her bedside lamp. The framed photo of Yukari, Amano and her, was the first thing to greet her sight. It was resting on the bedside table, their smiling happy faces turned towards her, completely oblivious. She picked it up, studying it further. It had been on a Sports Day; Amano had just won the 100m race, and Hitomi and Yukari were going to be doing relay together. Not that either of them would ever do anything like that now. Bitterly, Hitomi replaced the picture, her mind going back to the hospital, back when she had been finally allowed to see Yukari. She looked so pale and so frail on that hospital bed, tubes sticking in and out of her. Almost as though she were already dead.  
  
Hitomi bit back the tears, and opened her diary. She needed to be reminded of all the happy times she and Yukari had shared. As she turned the pages, she arrived to a section at the back labelled: 'Visions.'  
  
She stared at it, unable to understand. It was her writing, but Hitomi was sure she hadn't written it. She would have remembered if she had. Curious, she skipped to the latest entry, a few months old, and began reading.  
  
'I had the vision when I was taking a short cut home one night through the running track- the same place where I first met Van. At the beginning there was that same sickening sensation of falling, or being dragged underwater that I have every time I have a vision. In my vision I was on Gaea, and I think I was in Fanelia. It was completely rebuilt, and all the streets were decorated with flowers and banners. It looked like a huge festival was about to take place. I then saw a girl with long curly hair sitting at a dresser looking into the mirror. There are at least five servants fussing over her clothes and hair. Her dress is beautiful, even better than Milerna's wedding dress. Next I see the girl holding Van's arm, smiling. They are walking on a red carpet and there are people on either side. That's when I realise they're walking up the aisle- they are going to get married.'  
  
Trembling, Hitomi suddenly realised what this was. Answers. "Just you wait, Van. I'll find out who you are," She whispered.  
  
ATTENTION! SPOILER!  
  
Okay! The reason why Dilly hasn't taken over Hitomi's body is simply because he can't - he's not strong enough any more. This because after Hitomi was touched by The Power, she still has some of it in her, which makes her incredibly strong (in the magical sense of the word). Hitomi is suffering from a "genetic illness" because of the effects having so much power - it actually killed her for a few hours, remember, so she needs time for her body to heal and to come to terms with thbe changes that have happened inside her. Phew! Does that make sense now? Hope so! Anyways, so Dilly has taken over someone who has less resistance to these things than most people, because they were born a blank page, making it easy to project images on. A fellow albino. 


	17. VERY IMPORTANT MUST READ 2 ALL

VERY IMP!!!!!! PLEASE READ THIS AS YOUR REVIEWS WILL EFFECT WOT HAPPENS IN THE REST OF THE STORY!!!!  
  
Ok people!!! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! I just wanted to say that I am currently rewriting this story, with added twists, more fluff, more action, more suspense and more Hitomi being hopelessly in danger.  
  
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Lol, ok, I'm sorry for the w8. Meanwhile, I'd love it if you would send me your suggestions for the plot via your reviews. What would you like to happen? I think I'm going to get rid of Hitomi and Dilly's kiss (sob, I know I love that couple!! But unfortunately in this story, Dilly is still his evil, insane self, & would rather kill Hitomi than love her) and will make his 'plan' more evil and it will make more sense- after all it's not like the King of Paymere would help Dilly for no good reason!! Hehehehehehe and you will be finding out the REAL reason for Hitomi's lady lessons. I also thought that the story was slightly to female dominated, so Asharmi might be having a sex change!!! Lol, just kidding. I was thinking of bringing back the Dragon Slayers.what with Dilly having a powerful sorceress in his possession (a.k.a Hitomi) anything is possible! Hehehe! I'm sorry to have to keep you all waiting for so long, but I just felt that my story was well written and improving it would open more possibilities * cackles evilly * oh the possibilities..  
  
WARNING: Some of the chapters (in particular the first ones) will hardly change at all, but to make it worth the wait, I will be adding some new and unseen footage (you know, Hitomi's friendship with Yukari, Yukari and Amano, and of course who could forget the adorable Mamaru? I think it's about time he goes on a trip to Gaea, don't you? Hehehehe after all it's Kanzaki tradition!!)  
  
I was also considering making Dilly sane, but won't that spoil all the fun?! It's up to you. You tell me whether you want: Dilly sane/jus plain crazy, or if you want the Dragon Slayers to come back (hell I do!!), Or Mamaru to go to Gaea (if he does he won't be with his sister- he'll be with a certain Van Fanel.), Yukari to survive And anything else you think should happen!  
  
I don't want to give anything else away, but I hope you understand why I'm doing this. I value your reviews so much, but I felt I wasn't doing you or myself justice. I think that once this story has been rewritten and finished, it will be much better than it would have been without being rewritten. Thank you so much! I love you all!!!!!!!!! 


End file.
